National Advertising Division Recommends Procter & Gamble Modify or Discontinue Certain #1 Claims for Tide Free & Gentle

New York, NY – January 17, 2025 – In a challenge brought by competitor Henkel Corporation, BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division recommended that  Procter and Gamble Company (P&G) modify the claim “From Tide, the #1 brand used by dermatologists” when used in connection with imagery for Tide Free & Gentle and discontinue the related claim “From Tide, the #1 Trusted Detergent Brand for Sensitive Skin.” 

P&G’s Tide Free & Gentle and Henkel’s all® free clear are both laundry detergents for consumers who are concerned about the presence of certain ingredients in detergents.  

Dermatologist Use Claim 

The claim “From Tide, the #1 brand used by dermatologists” appeared in a commercial for Tide Free & Gentle, on P&G’s website, on a retail store display for Tide Free & Gentle, and other forms of advertising.  

The National Advertising Division (NAD) determined that the following messages were reasonably conveyed by P&G’s advertising:

• Dermatologists prefer Tide Free & Gentle over all® free clear  
• Dermatologists who use sensitive skin detergent prefer Tide Free & Gentle over all® free clear 
• More dermatologists use Tide Free & Gentle over all® free clear 

NAD found that P&G’s survey evidence was not a good fit for dermatologist preference claims and recommended that P&G modify the claim “From Tide, the #1 brand used by dermatologists” when used in connection with imagery for Tide Free & Gentle to avoid conveying such implied messages.

Consumer Trust Claim 

Henkel challenged the claim on P&G’s website and other forms of advertising, “From Tide, the #1 Trusted Detergent Brand for Sensitive Skin*” followed by the disclosure that “*Tide is Consumers’ #1 Trusted laundry detergent brand for sensitive skin in BrandSpark Survey,” with an image of a bottle of Tide Free & Gentle next to the claim. 

NAD concluded that one reasonable message conveyed by this claim is that Tide is the “#1 Trusted Detergent Brand” for use on sensitive skin – a message that NAD did not find substantiated by P&G’s BrandSpark survey. 

Therefore, NAD recommended that P&G discontinue the claim “From Tide, the #1 Trusted Detergent Brand for Sensitive Skin.”  

In its advertiser statement, P&G agreed to comply with NAD’s recommendations.  

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