National Advertising Division Recommends Cocofloss Discontinue or Modify Comparative Claim vs. “Flat Slippery Floss”

New York, NY – April 5, 2023 – In a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge brought by The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs recommended that Cocofloss, Inc. discontinue the claim for its Cocofloss brand of woven dental floss that “Unlike flat slippery floss, Cocofloss features a textured, loofah-like weave of 500+ filaments. As you floss, these soft strands expand to whoosh away sticky plaque and cavity-causing bacteria” or modify its advertising to avoid conveying the unsupported message that floss such as P&G’s Glide Floss is ineffective. 

Fast-Track SWIFT is an expedited challenge process designed for single-issue advertising cases brought to NAD. 

NAD determined that in the context of mixed messaging about both the unique design features of Cocofloss and the comparative efficacy of different kinds of floss, the “unlike slippery floss” claim reasonably conveys an unsupported message that ordinary floss like Glide Floss is ineffective. Because Cocofloss did not provide sufficient support that its floss is more effective than other flosses or that other flosses are ineffective, NAD recommended that the claim be discontinued or modified to avoid conveying such a message.

NAD noted that nothing in its decision precludes Cocofloss from making truthful and non-misleading claims about the features, design, and efficacy of Cocofloss.

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