Bearrieres: Ad industry body says Charmin overstates a bit on toilet paper bits
By Dan Sewell, APWednesday, August 11, 2010
Industry body wants P&G to change bear ads
CINCINNATI — Charmin’s bare-bottom bears can keep dancing around celebrating their joy over extra-strength toilet paper, but the advertising industry’s self-regulatory body says Procter & Gamble Co. needs to back off a bit on one claim.
The National Advertising Division Council of Better Business Bureaus says it investigated P&G’s Charmin Ultra Strong advertising after a challenge by rival Kimberly-Clark Corp., maker of Cottonelle Ultra Ripple.
The group found support for P&G’s claims that Charmin Ultra Strong holds up better and “leaves fewer pieces behind” than the Cottonelle version.
But it recommends changing an online demonstration and the Charmin commercial that shows the animated bears with no — instead of fewer — pieces left on their behinds.
“Although a voiceover states that Charmin Ultra Strong leaves ‘fewer’ pieces behind, NAD determined that the language is directly contradicted by the visuals, which depict no pieces left behind,” the group stated.
P&G says it will modify advertising as suggested. A message seeking comment was left at Kimberly-Clark.
