• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, August 3, 2017

The National Advertising Division, part of the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, has a new boss—Laura Brett, a well-seasoned lawyer who has been at the NAD (most recently as assistant director) since 2012.

The NAD’s main task is to call bullsh*t on advertisers when they make unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims or commit other transgressions.

Brett, for example was involved in the Fit Tea case earlier this year, where it found that the firm’s ever-enthusiastic and paid endorsers on social media (including several Kardashians) weren’t disclosing their “material connections” that existed with the brand.

NAD doesn’t have the power to demand that bad behavior be discontinued. Rather it recommends changes when it finds advertisers aren’t adhering to rules and regulations and often forwards cases to the FTC if its recommendations aren’t followed.

Brett’s a career lawyer who worked in private practice before joining the NAD, including a stint at Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s litigation department and as a solo practitioner.

That’s nice to see—much better than hiring an ad veteran who by definition probably wouldn’t be as objective.

Over at the SEC that happens a lot, where the head of an investment firm ends up running the place. Which, let’s face it, is like hiring one of the lunatics to run the asylum.