Madras HC asks P&G to modify 'Tide Naturals' ad again

The Madras High Court, in an interim order today, directed Procter & Gamble (P&G) to modify its ‘Tide Naturals’ advertisement again, with a prominent disclaimer that ‘Tide Naturals does not contain lemon and chandan’ in all scenes of the ad.

On December 1, 2009, P&G began airing a Tide Naturals commercial, which said the product could provide cleanliness and whiteness without too much effort. It also said that while other washing powders caused harm to the hands and skin, ‘Tide Naturals’ caused no harm due to the presence of lemon and chandan (sandalwood).

Rival Hindustan Unilever (HUL) moved court on February 25 this year, objecting to the claim of natural ingredients in the product. On March 1, P&G was directed to make modifications to the ad for the first time, displaying the disclaimer — Tide Naturals does not contain lemon and chandan — which it did in select scenes.

HUL had also objected to the use of the word ‘Naturals’ in the brand name, packaging, advertisement and sales promotions of Tide Naturals. The court, however, is yet to take a decision in this regard.

When asked, a P&G spokesperson said: “We are pleased with the interim order of the Madras High Court that has not accepted the contention of HUL to modify the Tide Naturals brand name or packaging in any way. The interim court order further allows us to continue the airing of our Tide Naturals commercial, with certain modifications.”

The spokesperson added: “We have never tried to communicate in our Tide Naturals advertising that our product contains lemon and chandan. Our packaging continues to say ‘The freshness of lemon and chandan’, which we do have in the product through the fragrance of lemon and chandan. Usage of terms like these are industry practice and P&G is not drifting from the norm. The Madras High Court prima facie believes that a few frames in our TV commercial misrepresent the presence of these ingredients and therefore need to be dropped from the commercial. We respect the court order and will fully comply with the actions and modifications requested of us.”

A HUL spokesperson could not be reached for comments.