The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the BBB National Program has announced the results of an investigation into claims made by Procter & Gamble’s Native brand of personal care products. The investigation was initiated by a challenge from SC Johnson & Son Co. (SCJ), manufacturer of Method products, and covered a variety of claims on Native’s packaging, advertising, and Amazon listings.
As the investigative arm of the BBB national program, NAD plays a vital role in maintaining truthful advertising and ensuring a level playing field within the industry.
Supported claims
As reported in an NAD press release, the organization determined that certain allegations made by Native were substantiated.
Tagline: “Clean. Simple. Effective.”
NAD found that the use of the word “simple” in the tagline was supported: According to NAD’s press release, the claim conveys that “Native products contain few or minimal ingredients,” which was substantiated by P&G.
Monadic “safe” assertions
NAD upheld unqualified “safety” claims made by Native, such as “safe, simple products made without harsh ingredients.” The department noted that these claims do not imply an unreasonable interpretation, such as safe for all uses, but rather suggest that the products are safe when used as directed.
Recommended Changes
Despite these substantiated claims, the NAD recommended that P&G modify or discontinue its other claims.
“Simple ingredients”
As reported in the press release, “SCJ also took issue with Native’s use of the word ‘simple’ to refer to individual ingredients in Native products, rather than to the product formula as a whole – such as ‘simple ingredients,’ ‘simple and effective ingredients,’ and ‘simple ingredients that are recognizable at a glance.'”
NAD has recommended that P&G discontinue or change the use of the “simple ingredient” in the claims of its Native deodorants, body washes, body lotions, conditioners and shampoos. An NAD press release states that the ingredient claims are unsubstantiated for these products.
“Born in the USA” Claim
NAD also recommended discontinuing the “born in the U.S.” claim: As detailed in NAD’s decision, it determined that this claim implies that the native product is made in the U.S. and requires that “all or substantially all” of the product costs be made domestically, which Standard P&G was unable to demonstrate.
During the proceedings, P&G voluntarily dropped certain other claims, but the NAD treated them as if it had recommended their dropping for compliance reasons, the release confirmed.
P&G’s response and potential impact on the industry
“Despite expressing respectful opposition to certain decisions, Procter & Gamble has agreed to comply with NAD’s recommendations. This compliance demonstrates the importance of adhering to advertising standards and maintaining the integrity of product claims,” the company said in a statement.
The decision in this case highlights the critical need for accurate, substantiated advertising in the personal care industry. As the NAD press release emphasizes, “advertisers have a responsibility to provide truthful information that can be verified with reliable scientific methods.” Such diligence protects consumer trust and ensures fair competition.
NAD’s findings serve as an important warning to manufacturers and suppliers in the cosmetics and personal care industry to rigorously substantiate advertising claims. Ensuring transparency and accuracy in marketing not only fosters consumer trust, but also promotes a fair and competitive market environment.
For a detailed summary of this case, see the BBB National Programs decision. library.
