Are gun advertisements in FTC’s crosshairs? Critics decry ‘toxic’ messaging as firearm sales soar
Democrats and advocates seeking to address gun violence argue that owning a gun does not make your home safer, a case for false advertising, and that marketing offensive “tactical operations” with military-grade weapons constitutes unlawful use of the product.
Just as Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man became flashpoints for a crackdown on cigarette ads in the 1990s, a handful of images are dominating the national debate. Among them is a series of ads from Remington about a “combat” AR-style rifle for “the infinite number of extreme scenarios you’ll face in the worlds of law enforcement or personal defense.”
Seeing an opening, gun control advocates have filed a series of complaints and petitions with the Federal Trade Commission, the independent agency charged with protecting consumers from unfair or deceptive marketing.
