For the second time in as many weeks a celebrity endorsing toothpaste has found themselves at the centre of numerous complaints regarding the quality of the product they are advertising. ITV This Morning host Holly Willoughby is part of the ad campaign for Oral-B 3D White Brilliance toothpaste but viewers have been questioning how natural her white teeth really are and whether the company are giving the impression that the toothpaste can whiten teeth almost as well as a professional treatment.
Viewers suggest that Holly’s teeth have been digitally improved or that the whiteness is from professional whitening rather than just using the toothpaste for two weeks. The firm that owns Oral-B, Proctor & Gamble, have confirmed that the presenter did use the product over a two-week period and found that her teeth where noticeably whiter, without any help in post-production.
Regardless of the complaints the Advertising Standards Agency sided with the company, finding that, despite some minor changes to the original footage, the outcome was not exaggerated to the point where it could be considered misleading to consumers. The Agency stated that ‘We examined both the graded and un-graded version of the ad and noted the overall appearance of Ms Willoughby’s teeth in the ad had not been significantly modified…. We considered the ad did not exaggerate the efficacy of the advertised product. We therefore concluded that the ad did not breach the Code.’