Colgate-Palmolive has been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over misleading advertising for its Sanex deodorant brand.
Rival Unilever lodged a series of complaints with the ASA for a TV, press and online advertising campaign, which it said was misleading on five counts. Three of these complaints were upheld by the advertising watchdog.
The claims questioned by Unilever were predominantly connected to bacteria and how Sanex deodorant claimed to eliminate or work against odour causing bacteria, while respecting skin’s natural bacteria.
Colgate-Palmolive provided clinical studies and academic papers to substantiate its claims, but while the ASA considered the product did ‘work against’ odour-causing bacteria, it said it was possible that it did not eliminate it entirely, and therefore deemed the advertising to be misleading.
The ASA said the advertising must not appear again in its current form and told Colgate-Palmolive to ensure future ads for Sanex did not misleading imply the product could eradicate all types of odour-causing bacteria.
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