Henkel Consumer Goods Discontinues Challenged Claims for Persil Following NAD Inquiry

New York, NY – May 25, 2017 – Henkel Consumer Goods, Inc., said it has voluntarily and permanently discontinued claims that were made in television, online and social media advertisements for its Persil ProClean Original laundry detergent and challenged before the National Advertising Division by The Procter & Gamble Company, maker of competing Tide Original laundry detergent.

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

The claims challenged by P&G included:

• “Last year’s champion [Persil Original] won again, this time with USA Today.”
• “Persil Original didn’t only beat Tide Original, it beat every detergent tested.”

P&G also asked NAD to consider whether the advertising at issue, which featured an Olympics-like podium, implied that Tide detergent products placed second and third in a review of detergents.

In response to NAD’s inquiry, Henkel said that based on current testing, the challenged claims were truthful and accurate and not misleading, and that the supers contained in the commercial were sufficient to qualify the claims made.

Notwithstanding this position, the advertiser informed NAD that it agreed to permanently discontinue the claims, “Last year’s champion [Persil Original] won again, this time with USA Today” and “Persil Original didn’t only beat Tide Original, it beat every detergent tested.” The advertiser further informed NAD that the podium visual, as depicted in the challenged commercial, would also be permanently discontinued.

Consequently, the voluntarily discontinued claims will be treated, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended their discontinuance and the advertiser agreed to comply.

While Henkel believes that the challenged claims were truthful and not misleading, it had decided for marketing reasons to permanently discontinue the claims as challenged by P&G.  Accordingly, Henkel appreciates NAD’s decision to close this matter without reviewing the claims on their merits.”

Note: A recommendation by NAD to modify or discontinue a claim is not a finding of wrongdoing and an advertiser’s voluntary discontinuance or modification of claims should not be construed as an admission of impropriety. It is the policy of NAD not to endorse any company, product, or service. Decisions finding that advertising claims have been substantiated should not be construed as endorsements.