Antitrust: Ferragni pays 1.2 million for misleading advertising on Easter eggs
The Antitrust Authority has concluded its investigation into the 'Ferragni branded' Easter eggs and misleading commercial communications linked to the social enterprise 'I Bambini delle Fate'. The influencer's companies separate commercial and charitable activities
2' min read
2' min read
The Antitrust Authority has concluded the investigation opened in January into the dissemination of commercial communications advertising eggs "branded Ferragni" during the Easter holidays 2021 and 2022. The proceedings had been initiated against the companies Fenice, TBS Crew and Sisterhood (owners of trademarks and rights related to Chiara Ferragni's personality) and Cerealitalia Industrie Dolciarie (owner of the trademark 'Dolci Preziosi'); the sale of the sweets was associated with a charity initiative in favour of the social enterprise 'I Bambini delle Fate'.
The Authority wanted to check whether the information could lead consumers to believe that they would support the social enterprise by purchasing the designer eggs. All companies submitted commitments which were assessed positively and made binding by the Antitrust Authority. The most relevant commitment is that at least EUR 1.3 million (5% of the respective distributable profits, with a minimum of EUR 1.2 million for the three-year period, by Fenice and TBS; EUR 100,000 by Cerealitalia) will be donated to "I Bambini delle Fate" over three financial years.
The two companies that are headed by Chiara Ferragni in the communiqué with which they give the outcome of the proceedings before the Antitrust Authority explain that 'with reference to the communication activities relating to charitable initiatives, the Companies have decided to clearly separate commercial activities from charitable ones, undertaking to refrain from carrying out operations in which commercial activities are connected to charitable activities and, with specific reference to the latter, to illustrate them in a special section of their respective websites to be created soon'.
Ferragni: ours is a donation
"The first commitment consists of a voluntary economic contribution, which is therefore a donation and not a sanction for a minimum of 1.2 million euros in favour of the social enterprise I bambini delle fate": so Chiara Ferragni on Instagram shares with her followers the statement on the affair "that the antitrust authority - explains the entrepreneur - has closed by accepting the commitments on which Tbs Crew and Fenice have been working on in recent months".
