Consumer protection body directs GlaxoSmithKline to stop ads for Sensodyne

The Consumer Protection Agency of India (CCPA) has issued an order requiring GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare Ltd to stop advertising Sensodyne products in India due to violations of the law. Over the last few years, Sensodyne has been aggressively promoting their toothpaste across leading television channels, where a doctor (mostly UK-based) is shown endorsing the brand. As per the Medical Council rules in India, doctors are not allowed to endorse any pharmaceutical product and any ads featuring real doctors are seen as total violation if they endorse.

In a statement issued, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said that the CCPA took suo moto cognizance of the matter and issued orders against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare on January 27, 2022 to refrain from siring those advertisements.

The CCPA has ordered GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare to stop advertising Sensodyne in India within seven days of the issue of the order because the ads featured real dentists operating outside of India supporting the goods. 


Given that dentists in India are prohibited from publicly endorsing any product or medicine, the CCPA stated that GSK Consumer Healthcare “cannot be allowed to evade the legislation in existence in India and exhibit foreign dentists to exploit consumer anxiety over dental discomfort”.

The CCPA has also ordered the Director General (Investigation) to submit a report within 15 days after investigating the claims “recommended by dentists worldwide”, “world's No.1 sensitivity toothpaste”, and “clinically proven relief, works in 60 seconds”, as well as the documents submitted by the company to support these claims.

Recently, to counter the paracetamol brand Dolo 650, Crocin 650, another brand from the GSK stable, cleverly showed a model representing as a doctor in the print advertisement. The advertisement could be easily misconstrued by the end consumer as being endorsed by a real doctor since the model is shown dressed in a doctor’s coat without a stethoscope. Wondering if the advertising industry watchdog ASCI has taken note of the advertisement and is planning to take some action.

Advertising
@adgully

News in the domain of Advertising, Marketing, Media and Business of Entertainment