LEGO Lord of the Ring Pirate Ship Ambush

Perhaps you’ve braved the Paths of the Dead under the White Mountains and summoned the oathbreakers, the Dead Men of Dunharrow cursed by Isildur to remain in Middle-earth after failing to fight as promised at the end of the Second Age. And maybe you and the oathbreakers commandeered the Corsairs of Umbar and arrived in time to turn the Battle of Pelennor Fields and help defeat the armies of Sauron.

And perhaps now you wish to memorialize your victory with the Pirate Ship Ambush LEGO playset.

But wait: The commercial shows Aragorn son of Arathorn, Legolas son of Thranduil, and Gimli son of Gloin fighting dozens of orcs alongside dozens of the ghost soldiers. But the playset doesn’t come with that many figures — it instead comes with two orcs, the King of the Dead, two Soldiers of the Dead and one Pirate of Umbar. Far fewer than the dozens shown.

The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU, or the Children’s Advertising Review Unit, keeps tabs on advertising directed at children, and issues recommendations to advertisers when ads are deceptive or target children unfairly. But because the CARU is a self-regulatory group, advertisers can ignore its recommendations. CARU is administered by the Council for Better Business Bureaus.) took note and recommended that LEGO modify its advertising to reflect better the figures that actually come in the box. CARU requires advertisers to note which toys come included and which must be purchased separately. The above ad does not distinguish.

LEGO said in the press release issued by CARU that it “appreciates the ongoing efforts of CARU to ensure appropriate advertising to children, and as a CARU member since its’ inception, we fully support these endeavors and make every effort to ensure our advertising conforms to the CARU Guidelines.”

Consumers should check the box for a list of the actual items included with toys to avoid any potential disappointment based on ads, lest Junior shed tears before second breakfast.