CA FEB 15 – TALL TALK
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in monthly
Close Up Diamond Attraction
If it was so easy to get ‘visibly whiter teeth from first brush’ wouldn’t we all make a beeline to purchase Close Up Diamond Attraction? The toothpaste, manufactured by Hindustan Unilever Ltd., apparently uses ‘innovative blue light technology’ to give your teeth ‘whiteness like the shine of diamonds’. Tall claims indeed, made in an advertisement that was telecast on various channels, including Sony, on 5 December 2014.
CERC had several queries and objections. Could the company prove that the toothpaste can give such visibly white teeth as shown in the TVC by just brushing once? What is the innovative blue light technology? Are there any independent studies which prove its efficacy? What are the side effects of this technology on the teeth? CERC complained to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
ASCI upheld the complaint and said that though the advertiser had provided images showing the visible change in whitening post single brushing, the claim was not substantiated. “The claim, ‘Visibly white teeth in 1 brush’, was not substantiated when read in conjunction with the super (“*visible whitening is an instant optical effect measured using a digital imaging system based on a visible scale of whiteningâ€) as the “visible scale of whitening†was not established. The advertiser had subsequently modified the super,†observed ASCI. However, with regard to the concern of ‘side effects of the technology’ it suggested that CERC direct its complaint to the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) as it was not within the purview of ASCI.
Lying through one’s teeth?
