British Ad Watchdog Says Colgate Ad For Whitening Toothpaste Was Misleading

The U.K.'s advertising watchdog has ruled that an online ad for a Colgate whitening toothpaste was false on at least one count, and must not run again with the misleading claim. The Advertising Standards Authority, acting on a four-count complaint filed by Procter & Gamble U.K., said the video ad that ran on the Colgate website beginning in August 2014 suggested that Max White One Optic had an immediate whitening effect, leaving the teeth “much whiter” than before. The ASA said the toothpaste did in fact whiten the teeth, but the effect was small. The ASA dismissed three other P&G complaints about the ad, arguing that Colgate had supported the claims with sufficient evidence.