Ad Alert

Swiffer Swept up in Broom-Bashing Claims

Self-regulatory body calls supporting evidence behind superiority claims "materially flawed."

Ad Alert

Swiffer Swept up in Broom-Bashing Claims

swiffer claim 1

Score one for the broom.

Procter & Gamble has agreed to discontinue advertising claims that its Swiffer product — compared to a broom — leaves floors up to three times cleaner and picks up 50 percent more dirt, dust and hair.

The National Advertising Division (The National Advertising Division (NAD) is the advertising industry’s self-regulatory body administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.) recommended that P&G stop running the superiority claims after it found the company’s supporting evidence “materially flawed.” NAD said P&G only tested two brooms on three surfaces — hardwood, vinyl and ceramic title — over a too-small area.

P&G became swept up in a debate over the claims — which surfaced in stores, on the Internet and on product packaging — after a competitor, the Libman Company, complained to NAD about the broom-bashing.

As of this writing, though, at least three of the four challenged claims still appear on the Swiffer website. In addition to the one above, there’s this one and this one yet to be washed from the website.

For more on self-regulation in the advertising industry, click here.


Our Ad Alerts are not just about false and deceptive marketing issues, but may also be about ads that, although not necessarily deceptive, should be viewed with caution. Ad Alerts can also be about single issues and may not include a comprehensive list of all marketing issues relating to the brand discussed.


You Might Be Interested In