To advertise a vehicle when you know demand cannot be met is permissible only if factual claims about product availability are truthful. Exaggeration of general product satisfaction is allowed, but specific claims must be accurate to avoid false advertising.
When it comes to advertising, there is a fine line between permissible puffery and misleading information. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), advertisements are allowed to use a certain amount of exaggeration to describe the general satisfaction of using a product. However, any claim presented as a fact must be true. This means that if a company advertises a certain type of vehicle, knowing that they cannot meet the anticipated demand, it should not present the availability as a guaranteed fact unless it is prepared to meet that demand.
If the company chooses to advertise the vehicles despite anticipated supply issues, it should be clear about potential delays in availability. This helps avoid the misrepresentation of facts, which can lead to charges of false advertising. Offering alternative solutions or products can be a responsible practice when supply issues exist, but it does not justify providing consumers with false expectations about the advertised product's availability.
In conclusion, while ads can highlight the positive aspects of a product through exaggeration, they cannot deliberately mislead about factual product availability or performance. 'Caveat emptor' ('let the buyer beware') remains a crucial consideration for consumers navigating advertising messages.