Advertising Claim Filed Against Almay

The “Almay Simply American” marketing campaign includes television, social media, and Internet ads laden with patriotic symbolism. However, ad watchdog non-profit organization truthinadverting.org (TINA.org) filed a deceptive advertising complaint against Revlon with federal and state regulators for violating the FTC's Made in the USA standards.

“Almay's implied, unqualified claim that its cosmetics are made in the USA is false advertising,” said TINA.org Executive Director Bonnie Patten. “Its marketing is unfair to consumers and to companies whose products really are 100% made in the US.”

According to the organization, though the ads reference Almay's “American Science” and feature countless waving flags, plenty of red, white, and blue and a heavily promoted tie-in with American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, the company posts no disclaimers on its website or in its Almay Simply American commercials about the origins of its products. Instead, the company boasts that it's proud to be a “truly American brand.”

TINA.org subsequently filed complaints with both the FTC and the New York Attorney General urging them to take action.