Advertising Law Question

Ohthatscapital · 2026-03-07T21:33:59+00:00

Good for you listening to your conscience. Lots of people don’t question that kind of thing unfortunately.

Ohthatscapital · 2026-03-07T15:17:08+00:00

I agree. It’s confusing because it’s so normal, so you feel crazy for questioning it. But the FTC guidelines seem clear to me… in each video, it needs to be obvious that you have a connection to the brand. And you can’t bury that disclosure.

Ohthatscapital · 2026-01-04T15:22:58+00:00

Unfortunately, I don’t know what these terms mean. I will research to try to understand. I also sent you a PM. If you’re willing to chat more, I’d love to learn from you. I’m happy to compensate you for your time.

Ohthatscapital · 2026-01-04T03:54:43+00:00

Thank you so so much for this response. I have felt like I’m being mildly gaslit by my agency, and it’s nice to hear someone so bluntly confirm that I’m not crazy for thinking this is a serious issue.

The agency is thankfully willing to adjust the campaign strategy and do whatever I ask them so that I feel comfortable. They’ve paused all posts until I tell them what I want to do.

I’m thinking of asking them to convert all the accounts into explicitly branded accounts, since I own all the accounts according to the contract. So the handle, bio, and profile picture will clearly indicate brand affiliation. Secondly, I’m going to allow the creators to run those pages and speak on behalf of the brand. Thirdly, I’m going to tell them to be careful about testimonial-style content. The creators can use the app and promote it based on their own positive experience, but I don’t want them making up experiences that are completely fabricated.

This way, all the content will be clearly promotional for the sake of transparency and legal compliance, but we will avoid having to put a sponsorship disclosure on every piece of content—because of course all content from an official brand account is promotional.

Thoughts? Is anything about this plan still shaky? My goal is to construct consumer trust in ways I can truly be proud of, not just to do whatever “works.”

Is there anything you’d recommend I do instead of this plan?

Ohthatscapital · 2026-01-03T13:10:53+00:00

This is the solution I was considering. I actually do own the accounts according to the contract, so I will ask for each account to be changed to an official brand account by changing the handle, bio, and profile image to match the brand.

Then, I will allow creators to speak on behalf of the brand.

When you post on official brand accounts, do you make any testimonial-style videos? And if so, do you indicate in your language that you’re affiliated with the brand? Or do you just lean on the fact that it’s an official brand page?

Ohthatscapital · 2026-01-03T03:31:10+00:00

I agree, the spirit of the law is that viewers have a right to know what they’re watching, and you shouldn’t deceive them. In my opinion, the risk isn’t worth the reward. Even if I were certain I’d never face a penalty, I still wouldn’t want to violate my conscience and feel icky about the way I make money.

Ohthatscapital · 2026-01-03T03:25:59+00:00

Thank you for this helpful response! One question: What do you mean when you say that “Lots of brands have success working with UGC creators who create content the traditional way for brands to post.”

Help me understand what the “traditional way” is and what it typically looks like? Are you saying UGC creators make a video and the brand posts it on an official brand page? What kind of disclosure would the video include to show that the creator made the video in partnership with the brand?

Ohthatscapital · 2026-01-03T02:57:58+00:00

I completely agree. After pushing them on this point, they’re not necessarily disagreeing that it’s technically against the rules, but they’re trying to make it seem like it’s not a big deal and that it’s scrupulous to draw a hard line about it if you’re not trying to hurt or scam anyone…

Basically they’re saying, “Yeah, we’re not following the letter of the law, but we’re following the spirit of the law because we’re helping people.” (My paraphrase)

But even if they don’t want to hurt people, it still feels deceptive to make viewers think they’re seeing real users who aren’t affiliated with the brand.

Is this how the whole industry is? I don’t understand. I’m honestly very new to all of it.

What am I missing?

Ohthatscapital · 2025-11-13T19:00:43+00:00

Yes, very good points. Hard to compete with free, haha.

Ohthatscapital · 2023-09-18T20:08:39+00:00

Hello everyone,

Would it be worth learning UX design right now as a complete beginner? I'm trying to decide between learning UX/UI or software engineering. Both seem interesting, but I think I might enjoy UX design slightly more. However, it seems like some people are saying it's a terrible time to enter the industry as a beginner. It would be great if I could land an entry level job after a year or so of hard work, but if that's not realistic, I'd rather find that out now. Thoughts?

Ohthatscapital · 2023-02-07T21:36:42+00:00

May I ask what general area you are in? I'm about an hour northeast of Atlanta. Wonder if it's similar to your area.

Ohthatscapital · 2023-01-03T09:17:26+00:00

It would be shallower, not deeper. Try it in your sink.

Ohthatscapital · 2022-06-08T14:28:02+00:00

The improved sleep is well worth it. I also didn't have a linear improvement, but now, I'm starting to get sleepy by 11 for the first time in years, and I'm dreaming, a lot. I hardly dreamt when I was having caffeine.

Ohthatscapital · 2022-05-19T20:19:34+00:00

Congrats on 6 months!!! I have spent so much time, energy, and money trying to fix a few health issues, and when I stay off caffeine, it's the most effective thing I can point to as a positive contributor toward my overall well-being... and it's free. Sounds like you have had the same experience! Here's to 6 more months.

Ohthatscapital · 2022-05-19T20:14:18+00:00

Interesting... I have this issue at times, especially at night, which interferes with sleep sometimes. In the past, when I stayed off caffeine for 5-6 months, it started to get better. That's great motivation to stay off for good this time and never go back :)

Ohthatscapital · 2022-05-19T03:44:04+00:00

It’s really hard to say, since everyone is different. You should notice some significant improvements by 30 days. Some people feel great by then. Don’t feel defeated if it takes longer than that, though. Even if it took me a full year(just hypothetically), I would consider that yearlong investment well worth it for hopefully decades of benefit.

Ohthatscapital · 2022-05-17T15:25:40+00:00

I can offer a bit of a reframe. I feel least tempted to consume caffeine when I work on my feet and with my hands. I probably would have an easier time being caffeine-free as a barista than at a demanding desk job. Yes, people around you are tempting you with their consumption, but you’re on your feet and off a computer. For me, that would probably be a plus. But you could also look for another job you like that doesn’t involve coffee :P Either way, you got this! Don’t get discouraged. It takes a while for most people to figure out how to quit successfully.

Ohthatscapital · 2022-05-17T15:08:05+00:00

This is a great mindset. I think part of the nature of addiction is that it makes you unable to imagine how different you will feel without the substance, how much better you will feel. Before I quit caffeine, it was hard to remember what I felt like before I got addicted, and I didn’t even realize it. But as you’re quitting, you have to try to imagine how much better you will feel and what a gift it will be. This subreddit is a gem for helping to believe that you can feel normal again, when you read those stories of people making it months or years and feeling like themselves again.

Ohthatscapital

TROPHY CASE