Allstar Products Group Says it will Voluntarily Discontinue ‘Power Floss’ Commercial Following CARU Inquiry

New York, NY – Aug. 29,  2016  – Allstar Products Group said it would voluntarily discontinue certain advertising claims for “Dr. Hart’s Power Floss,” following an inquiry from the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU).

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

CARU monitors advertising directed to children and online services for compliance with CARU’s Self-Regulatory Program for Children’s Advertising, including guidelines on Online Privacy Protection, as well as with the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

“Dr. Hart’s Power Floss” is an oral cleaning device that mixes air and water and is sprayed in the mouth in order to clear away plaque and debris. Television advertising for the product, which appeared during children’s programming, came to CARU’s attention through its routine monitoring.

CARU requested the advertiser provide support for claims that included:

• Power away plaque-causing debris in 60 seconds or less.
• Patients are definitely seeing results.
• Long-term result is healthy gum, healthy teeth and healthy mouth.

In lieu of providing substantiation, the advertiser advised CARU that it would voluntarily, permanently discontinue the challenged claims. In reliance on the advertiser’s representation that the  advertising claims will be permanently discontinued, CARU did not review the claims on their merits.  The voluntarily discontinued claims will be treated, for compliance purposes, as though CARU recommended their discontinuance and the advertiser agreed to comply.

APG, in its advertiser’s statement, said the company “fully supports the CARU self-regulatory process.  APG wishes to reiterate to CARU that it takes its responsibility to children and their parents very seriously in developing and promoting products.  For reasons independent of this Inquiry, APG voluntarily undertook to discontinue the claims in the Advertisement.  APG will take CARU’s concerns into consideration when developing future advertisements.”