The National Advertising Division (NAD) has for more than 40
years been the premier avenue for self-regulation in the
advertising industry. Born in the '70s at a time when there was
pressure from government and consumer advocates to regulate
advertising, the industry stepped up and promised to regulate
itself. Under the auspices of the Council of Better Business
Bureaus, the industry associations formed the NAD.
At the annual NAD Law Conference held in New York September
28-29, the NAD announced that some procedural changes would be made
in response to an ABA assessment of NAD process.
Here are the highlights of the NAD's proposed new
procedures:
- Scheduling – The opening letter will set forth a schedule
for each of the responsive filings. The parties can agree to
alterations, but once set they will be held firm. If the parties
cannot agree to a mutually acceptable set of deadlines, the NAD
office administrator will hammer out a compromise with the
