Advertising Group Recommends Generac Discontinue Certain Ads

September 27 -- The National Advertising Division has recommended that Generac Power Systems Inc. alter or discontinue certain advertising for the company’s standby home generators, including what the NAD called the “broad, unsupported” claims that Generac is the “most environmentally friendly generator on the market.”

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation and is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. Kohler Co., a competing generator manufacturer based in Kohler, brought forth the claims against Generac, with headquarters in Waukesha County.

NAD requested substantiation for claims related to the power, engine life, sound output, environmental benefits and safety performance of Generac generators.

“Generac disagrees with a number of NAD’s conclusions, and believes that we provide more than enough information for the consumer to make an educated decision to purchase a Generac home backup generator,” the company said in a statement to The Business Journal.

Generac noted that the NAD recommendations for discontinuing certain environmental or power quality claims largely involved “outdated or defunct marketing campaigns.”

“We at Generac are disappointed that (NAD) implied deception on the part of Generac, especially since the NAD upheld the two most important claims leveled against us: low sound levels and generator fire ratings,” Generac said in the statement. “Upon review of Generac’s detailed test data, the NAD agreed that Generac provided a reasonable basis for its advertising claims, although they preferred that Generac provide clarification.”

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