This came across my desk today. I wish I were making it up.
"Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements accompanied by words such as "will," "believe," "anticipate," or similar words, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding _____________'s plans and performance. These statements are based on management's estimates, assumptions and projections as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied in these statements as the result of risks, uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to, the factors set forth in ______________'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including _____________'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events, information or circumstances that arise after the date of this release."
Talk about a royal CYA. And I'd bet you spent much more time with these statements (on your blog) than anyone else will.
ReplyDeleteI used to work on a GM account where every ad we did required a half page of legal copy accompanying it.
ReplyDeleteThis presents a challenge when you're doing banner ads.
To get around this problem, I suggested creating a microsite with all the account's legal copy on it, that we could link to in individual ads.
The account team thought I was joking, and dismissed the idea. So we ended up with a drop-down frame that was twice the size of the banner. Imagine Cindy Crawford, with a giant lower lip.
This is why I prefer to work with account people that have taken some art history or painting classes in college. So aesthetics are always part of the conversation.