Meaning of Puffery Advertising

u Puffs up - The product to appear like more than it is.

u Advertising puffery is defined as advertising or promotional activity that makes broadly exaggerated ( representation of something as more extreme or dramatic than it is ) or boastful ( excessive self-pride ) statements about a product or service that are subjective (a matter of opinion), rather than objective (something measurable).

u Puffery does not create any warranty or guarantee for the consumer.

Example of Puffery Advertising

The advertisement for Starbucks coffee displays puffery advertising. The puffery shows through exaggerating the product with a claim that can’t be proven true or false. The advertisement is technically legal but can be considered dishonest to those who don’t understand puffery.

This claim is that Starbucks is the best coffee and that makes it the best coffee for you. This claim is dishonest because you can’t measure the quality of coffee to be the best and it is a matter of opinion.