New York, NY – March 27, 2014 – The National Advertising Division has recommended that The Procter & Gamble Company modify a disclosure in advertising claims made for the company’s Pantene Pro-V antioxidant shampoo products. The company has agreed to do so.

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation. It is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

As part of its routine monitoring efforts, NAD inquired about the accuracy of a disclosure in the context of a print advertisement by The Procter & Gamble Company for its new Pantene Pro-V antioxidant shampoo formulas. The advertisement features the headline “New Hair, New You” and shows five variants from the advertiser’s Pro-V antioxidant shampoo line. The claim “Clinically proven: healthier hair with every wash*” is prominently shown below the shampoos and the asterisk refers to the following disclosure at the bottom of the advertisement: “*Shampoo and conditioner system vs. non-conditioning shampoo.” There is additional text in the advertisement that refers only to the “new Pro-V antioxidant shampoo formulas.”

NAD expressed concern that consumers could be confused by the disclosure, which refers to the shampoo and conditioner system, given that the advertisement (including the products depicted therein) refers only to the shampoos.

In response to NAD’s inquiry, the advertiser stated that its future advertising will depict both the Pro-V Antioxidant shampoo(s) and conditioner(s) when using the cited disclaimer in conjunction with discussion of results for the product “system.”

NAD noted that it appreciates the advertiser’s assurance that its future advertising will show
both the Pro-V Antioxidant shampoo(s) and conditioner(s) when it uses the “shampoo and conditioner system disclaimer,” an action NAD deemed necessary and proper.

The company, in its advertiser’s statement, said it is committed to “communicating the benefits that its Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioner systems bring to the consumer and will be taking NAD’s comments into account for future advertising.”