Bonzi Hit With Deceptive-Ad Complaint
The suit alleges Bonzi’s advertising banners — which mimic dialog boxes that feature “message alert,” security alert,” or “warning” — trick Internet users into clicking through to Bonzi’s site, where it sells software. Philip. The suit asks for Bonzi to pay $500 for each Internet user who has encountered one of the ads and $5 per impression served. Besides naming Bonzi as a defendant, it also names Bonzi’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer.
Yes, what Bonzi is doing is a dispicable and cheap form of online “tricksvertising” (now there’s a nice new term) but is it any worse then the banners that use to have fake scrollbars on them? Should a company be sued for effective yet bad creative and questionable the tactics?
No advertising is 100% true. We all know and accept that. If was all true, it wouldn’t be advertising, would it? It would be news story.
Oh but wait, we live in a country where we can sue a restaurant for making us fat.
