REVEALED: Facebook's $6.5million feel-good ad celebrating frontline workers used a series of stock images and phony posts made by its own employees
- Facebook started airing the ad celebrating frontline workers in April
- It features supposed posts in the 'Cheers for the frontlines!' Facebook group
- But investigation finds that the posts were mocked up with stock images
- Facebook says it tried to capture 'the spirit of the group' with fake posts
A Facebook ad celebrating frontline workers in the coronavirus pandemic used stock images and mocked-up posts, it has been revealed.
The ad, which highlights the real Facebook group 'Cheers for the frontlines!', began airing nationally in April and features a feel-good montage of supposed posts celebrating healthcare and other essential workers.
However, none of the posts in the television ad appear in the actual Facebook group, according to an NBC News analysis of the private group, whose membership has soared to 11,000 in response to the ad.
In a statement, Facebook said it relied on mocking up posts that captured 'the spirit of the group.'
The ad, which highlights the real Facebook group 'Cheers for the frontlines!', began airing nationally in April
None of the posts in the television ad appear in the actual Facebook group, and were instead mocked up with licensed images posted under the names of Facebook employees
Other than the group's administrator, the Facebook posts that were featured in the ad were posted under the names of current and former Facebook employees, according to a search of their profiles.
As well, the pictures featured in the ad appear to come from a variety of sources, including public Facebook and Instagram posts, tweets, and stock photo collections.
Facebook said the images, which include photos of Toronto grocery workers and nurse anesthetists in Tampa, Florida, had been licensed for the ad.
Adeel Khan, whose husband and her son were featured in the commercial, told NBC News that a marketing company paid them 'not much at all' to license the photo, but said she had no idea it would be used in a Facebook ad.
In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson said: 'Our goal was to show support for frontline health workers by featuring the outpouring we've seen for them on Facebook.'
'To work within the constraints of Covid-19, we consulted with the group's admin and used content that mirrors real activity happening in this Facebook Group.'
It is not the first time that Facebook has been accused of deceptive marketing practices. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is seen above in a file photo
Facebook paid an estimated $6.5 million to reach nearly a quarter billion people with the ad
It is one of several ads that Facebook has produced recently highlighting its Groups feature during the pandemic
The company says that it used the names of Facebook employees on the posts out of privacy concerns.
Facebook paid an estimated $6.5 million to reach nearly a quarter billion people with the ad, according to advertising analytics firm iSpot.tv.
The ad aired during popular programs such as the ESPN Michael Jordan documentary series The Last Dance and has more than 9 million views on YouTube.
It is one of several ads that Facebook has produced recently highlighting its Groups feature during the pandemic.
It is not the first time that Facebook has been accused of deceptive marketing practices.
In January, Teen Vogue published a glowing profile of five female Facebook employees that turned out to be sponsored content.
Facebook also paid the Daily Telegraph, a British broadsheet, to run a series of positive articles, it was revealed in April.
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