Aleve’s “Rated #1” Claims Unsupported By Survey Design – NAD
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Bayer Consumer Healthcare should modify product claims that imply Aleve is the number one pick among orthopedic surgeons for minor arthritis pain, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus recommends
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Bayer Consumer Healthcare should modify product claims that imply Aleve is the number one pick among orthopedic surgeons for minor arthritis pain, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus recommends. In a June 18 decision, NAD says Bayer's product claim "Rated #1 for Arthritis Pain" - with the disclaimer "Survey of orthopedic surgeons, April 2006. Comparison among leading brands for OTC pain relievers" - inappropriately convey the message that survey participants engaged in product ranking based on objective criteria. However, Bayer has not presented evidence, NAD says, to show survey participants conducted any side-by-side testing of product efficacy and/or dosing. Surgeons who participated in the survey were asked which OTC product they preferred in treating minor arthritis pain and not which product they would rate number one for treating that condition, NAD observes. Bayer said the majority of about 260 orthopedic surgeons it surveyed selected Aleve. A survey asking surgeons to rate a specific product rather than give their preference for treating minor arthritis pain would in fact show survey participants had engaged in a product ranking exercise and that would have supported Bayer's claims that its product is "Rated #1,"according to NAD. "Rating a product and preferring (or recommending) a product are not synonymous," NAD said, noting an example of a doctor rating a particular treatment highest while preferring another due to a more convenient dosing regimen. With nearly 50 percent of the surgeons surveyed preferring Aleve, it may "provide a reasonable basis for a claim that Aleve is preferred #1," but it does not support claims the product is top rated, NAD says. Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, maker of Advil , brought the challenge against Bayer, noting there is no data on naproxen to support a comparative efficacy claim. Bayer disagrees with the conclusions regarding its claims, but said it will consider NAD's findings and recommendations in future ads for Aleve. - Robert W. Mitchell ([email protected]) |