Crest fined $960,000 for false advertising
Updated: 2015-03-10 13:55
By Wang Zhenghua(chinadaily.com.cn)
|
|||||||||||
Taiwan television entertainer Xu Xidi grins to show the whitening effect of the Crest toothpaste in the TV commercial. [Photo/baidu.com] |
A well-known toothpaste brand owned by Procter & Gamble has been fined 6.03 million yuan ($960,000) for its false TV commercial, the biggest amount that China has imposed on false advertising.
Eastday.com quoted Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce as saying on Tuesday that Crest exaggerated the whitening effect of one of its product, by photoshopping the advertisement.
The TV commercial features Taiwan television entertainer Xu Xidi, better known as Little S, who grins in front of the camera to show the whitening effect of the product. It also claims in the advertisement that teeth turn whiter in just one day.
Miao Jun, a sub director of the administration, was quoted as saying that the department enforced the advertisement law of China by slapping 6.03 million yuan fine, which was calculated on a certain proportion of the advertisement fee.
He said the photoshop technology can be used in advertisements but not on the main subject. Miao gave the example of a car advertisement, in which the landscape is allowed to be photoshopped to present a bluer sky or whiter cloud.
"But in the consumer goods sector, one must pay the price if making a false effect on the main subject," he added.
Along with Crest, the Shanghai administration revealed the names on Monday of a number of other brands involved in false advertising, including a liquor made by Wuliangye and a juice by Tahitian Noni.
In 2014, the Shanghai administration cracked down on a total of 2,716 illegal advertisements, including 1,906 false ones. A total of 74.77 million yuan fine was imposed, its figures showed.
Related Stories
Qualcomm fined $975 million in China 2015-02-10 08:14
Balloon goes up after idea for an ad fails 2014-12-02 07:23
CCTV holds annual ad sale behind closed doors 2014-11-19 08:12
Chinese lawmakers urge full tobacco ad ban 2014-08-31 11:01
China cracks down on medical device ad scams 2014-07-02 19:21
Tobacco industry sidestepping ad ban with new media 2014-07-09 20:11
Today's Top News
China February inflation quickens to 1.4%
Apple unveiled first wearable watch
French Olympians among dead in Argentina crash
China to raise retirement age
China to strictly regulate e-commerce industry
Chinese apps storm into expats' lives
Solar Impulse is go from Abu Dhabi
Merkel reminds Japan to face wartime past
Hot Topics
Lunar probe , China growth forecasts, Emission rules get tougher, China seen through 'colored lens', International board,
Editor's Picks
Annual legislative and political advisory sessions |
Festival Special: Apps that make holiday shopping easier |
Listed firms caught in anti-corruption net |
Conca set to return to China |
CES: Spotlight on Chinese gadgets |
Yearender: What happened around the globe in 2014 |