Paper towel maker wins arbitrated dispute over Bounty ads

<p>Georgia-Pacific has won a battle with Procter & Gamble over Bounty paper towel advertisements that Georgia-Pacific claimed to be false and misleading.</p><p>A three-person arbitration panel agreed this week with Georgia-Pacific, which manufactures the rival Brawny towels.</p><p>The Atlanta-based company filed suit in U.S. District Court in Atlanta on Sept. 30 complaining about a series of P&G ads that claim Bounty towels absorb more liquid than Brawny. The two sides agreed to arbitration in November.</p><p>According to Georgia-Pacifics interpretation of the arbitration panels ruling, which came late Tuesday, P&G must stop the advertisements because they do not explain how or why the Bounty towel does not drip after picking up spills.</p><p>As a result of the ruling, Cincinnati-based P&G must stop airing the ads.</p><p>Were disappointed that the panel recommended to pull the commercial, but we respect the process, and we will abide by the decision, P&G spokesman Bryan Brown said.</p><p>Bounty is the No. 1-selling paper towel in the country, with about 32 percent of the market, compared to 11 percent for No. 2 Brawny.</p><p>The arbitration panels ruling cannot be appealed, and a judgment in Georgia-Pacifics favor will be entered in the lawsuit.</p><p>Brown said the ruling was a mixed decision because the panel determined that if his company had used proper standards to depict cleanup of the spills, the ads would have been fair and acceptable.</p><p>Furthermore, Brown said, the panel acknowledged that Bounty cleans spills faster and retains liquid longer.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/1/178449