The creation in 1971 of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) and its investigative arm, the National Advertising Division, was a response by the advertising industry to the pressures and criticisms of consumerism that had mounted during the previous decade and peaked as the 1970s began. In contrast to previous periods, the 1960s and 1970s posed a greater threat to advertising because of government actions; in turn, the industry responded with a mechanism of self-regulation far surpassing any previous efforts, and including methods of detection, methods of adjudication; and sanction procedures that were meaningful reforms in the area, although somewhat weaker modifications were adopted. This effort at self-regulation serves the trade both as a means of eradicating deception and as a means of dealing with public criticism and its attendant threat of government regulation; indeed, there appears to be an inverse correlation between the rise of NARB and the diminution of criticism and government interest in advertising. (DF)