Hindustan Unilever Limited - Close Up

Recommendation: Not Upheld | Medium: Industry Member

The FTC panel viewed the Instagram advertisement and carefully considered the submissions of both the advertiser and the complainant, and deliberated upon the matters raised. The FTC panel observed that the claim in the advertisement, “Gives 18 hours of long-lasting fresh breath!", is qualified via disclaimer which says, “With regular use for 4 weeks as directed on pack. Based on clinical study 2023-2024”. The FTC panel discussed that the Close Up Red Hot Toothpaste contains Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate as its main ingredient, which is effective in neutralizing Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs), which are often responsible for bad odors in the mouth, especially those linked to foods like onion and garlic. The advertiser has submitted published literatures to show that Zinc neutralizes VSCs in dental care products. The FTC panel observed that the advertiser has submitted a clinical study which was conducted to measure the oral malodor efficacy of 0.2% Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate containing toothpaste at 18 hours after brushing following 28 days of product use. The FTC panel further observed that an earlier complaint registered against the advertiser’s TV advertisement claiming, “Gives 18 hours fresh breath”, was Not Upheld by the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC) as the claim was substantiated. The FTC panel discussed that the current Instagram advertisement under complaint is being promoted by an Influencer wherein it depicts the efficacy of the toothpaste in giving 18 hours of fresh breath on consumption of garlic. The Influencer in the advertisement says that, “..... also itna garlic khaane ke baad bhi I don’t have to worry about my breath because I use all new Close up every morning which gives 18 hours of long lasting fresh breath". The FTC panel deliberated that the advertiser has conducted a clinical study to evaluate how effective a toothpaste containing Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate is at reducing bad breath compared to a standard fluoride toothpaste. The study tracked participants who regularly consumed foods like onions and garlic known to cause bad breath. Specifically, 85.8% of participants consumed these foods several times a week, and 26.3% ate them daily. The results demonstrated that the toothpaste was effective in reducing Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs), which are responsible for bad breath, helping to maintain fresh breath even 18 hours after brushing. The participants using the Zinc Sulfate toothpaste rated their oral freshness significantly higher than those using the fluoride toothpaste without active ingredients. This suggests that the Zinc Sulfate formulation provides superior breath freshening benefits even among individuals consuming odorous foods. The FTC panel observed that the advertiser has presented an in vitro study that evaluated the effect of the toothpaste on various volatiles from garlic under different experimental conditions. The results demonstrated that Close-Up toothpaste decreased malodor components from heated garlic enhancing its ability to neutralize odors. The FTC panel further discussed that in the advertisement, the Influencer is depicted cooking a food item with garlic that is either cut or crushed. The garlic being used is shown in a cooked form rather than in its raw form. This suggests that the toothpaste’s effectiveness against garlic related odors is particularly relevant to cooked garlic rather than raw garlic. Based on the advertiser’s submissions with the supporting data provided, the FTC panel concluded that the claim, "Gives 18 hours of long-lasting fresh breath", was substantiated. The said claim is not in contravention of Chapter I of the ASCI Code. This complaint was NOT UPHELD.