In the latest large fine imposed by Hungary’s competition authority GVH, the local unit of multinational consumer products giant Colgate-Palmolive has been hit with a fine of Ft 257 million (nearly €1 million) for what was judged to be misleading advertising for its “Colgate Total” toothpaste brand.
According to Gazdasági Rádió, the GVH had ruled in February 2006 that the firm could not support the claims of advertisements for the brand, while an appeal by the company to the Budapest Court has ended unsuccessfully.
At issue were ads saying the toothpaste was “The choice of dentists,” a claim that allegedly ran counter to the firm’s own survey of local dentists that found just 15% recommended it to their patients. Meanwhile, other claims suggesting that the brand offered the most dental protection to users was found to be unsupported by scientific research introduced during the case.