Aquafresh and Colgate go head to head in ad war

It has been exposed in a battle of toothpastes that when it comes to protecting your pearly whites Aquafresh Complete Care is not necessarily better than other brands‚ as it had suggested in an ad.

This after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ordered it to withdraw unsubstantiated claims made in an ad campaign and on packaging‚ which claimed it offered 24-hour sugar acid protection.

Colgate-Palmolive launched the complaint against Aquafresh.

“Get around the clock defence against everyday sugars with new Aquafresh Complete Care‚” and “eight key benefits with 24-hour sugar acid protection‚” along with imagery of a super hero fighting off sugary food in Aquafresh's TV ad‚ a billboard campaign and Aquafresh packaging‚ formed part of the complaint.

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Colgate-Palmolive said the ads were likely to lead consumers to believe that the product offered superior protection from acid in the mouth caused by regular consumption of sugar‚ when Aquafresh is a standard fluoride toothpaste‚ like many others on the market‚ with no extra ingredients that would offer such protection.

Aquafresh conceded that its product contained no unique ingredients but said its ads did not assert superior protection.

The ASA‚ however‚ found that Aquafresh had overstated the effects of its product with unsubstantiated claims.

Based on an expert's report‚ submitted by Aquafresh‚ it found that most fluoride-based toothpastes would offer consumers the same benefits Aquafresh offered. It also found no grounds for Aquafresh's 24-hour protection claim‚ it said.

The report stated that Aquafresh‚ like other fluoride-based toothpastes‚ gave 24-hour protection if used twice daily with a controlled intake of sugary foods.

Regarding one of Aquafresh's billboard ads‚ which says “Get 24-h protection against everyday sugar” without imagery of various foods‚ the ASA said the brand had failed to qualify that the product's protection was undermined by the consumption of sugar-containing foods and drinks.

This omission creates the impression that Aquafresh is superior‚ it said.

Aquafresh must withdraw all unsubstantiated claims in its advertising‚ including its packaging.

It has already withdrawn it television commercial.

Colgate-Palmolive and GlaxoSmithKline‚ which owns Aquafresh Complete Care‚ have been approached for comment.