IS CLAIMING A PRODUCT WORKS ‘INSTANTLY’ FALSE ADVERTISING?

On the shelf at the supermarket is a mouthwash boldly stating on the bottle “instantly whiter teeth”. How can mouthwash, or toothpaste, make your teeth instantly whiter? Can you make false claims in advertising? No, you can’t make false claims in advertising. But is this a false claim? I don’t believe any mouthwash or toothpaste can instantly make your teeth detectably whiter. But I suppose it can’t be denied that your teeth might become fractionally whiter – even if you rinse your mouth out with water. This may be one of those classic claims where, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.” I’m amused to see on the bottles on some of these products that they have ingredients with brighteners that activate to reflect light as you swish so teeth look whiter instantly. The key issue for the consumer is, how much whiter? Well, why not buy a bottle and see? It’s made by a reputable manufacturer, so I’m sure it works fine as a standard mouthwash. Take a photo of your teeth before and after. If it makes no difference, call their consumer information NZ 0800 number (that’s on the bottle) and demand your money back.