Feds save Americans from believing Nissan pickups can climb sand dunes

Within the next week, the greatest minds of the advertising world will unleash their latest creations for this year's Super Bowl, and as always several automakers will spend millions of dollars attempting to lure a few eyeballs away from the snack table for 30 seconds. Yet the U.S. government's consumer watchdog has sent a new warning to the industry's ad masters: If you're going to show off a car, think big — or don't do it at all.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced Thursday it had settled a complaint with Nissan and ad agency TBWA over a TV spot for the Nissan Frontier pickup that showed it pushing a dune buggy up a steep sand dune. Despite the disclaimer "Fictionalization: Do not attempt" at the beginning of the ad, the agency complained that Nissan was misleading potential Frontier owners about the truck's powers.

According to the FTC: