Revolution Messaging asks FEC for cell disclaimer exception

Cellphone advertising should be except from federal disclaimer requirements, according to Revolution Messaging.

The mobile advertising firm is asking the Federal Election Commission to treat its products the same as bumper stickers or campaign buttons.

“Many of our clients have been unable to take advantage of mobile advertising capabilities after being told they need to include a disclaimer,” Keegan Goudiss, Revolution Messaging’s head of digital advertising, says in a statement.

“It’s an impossible request because the disclaimer would end up larger than the ad itself.”

The company is asking the FEC to issue an exemption for mobile advertising displayed on handheld devices, including the new iPhone 5S and 5C.

In a release, it states, “the FEC needs to end the uncertainty and offer clear guidelines for this important aspect of campaigning in the digital age. It already offers exemptions for bumper stickers, buttons and other objects deemed too small to make the inclusion of the disclaimer language practical.”

The company’s CEO Scott Goodstein adds: “It is clear to us that mobile advertising should fall in that same category.”

The company submitted its advisory opinion request Wednesday as the Senate is poised to approve Obama administration FEC nominees Ann Ravel and Lee Goodman. A Senate Rules and Administration Committee was scheduled for Tuesday but adjourned after it failed to reach a quorum.