P&G; Uses Daring Ad During Grammys

A Crest toothpaste ad during the Grammy Awards on Sunday night was in Spanish, the first by Procter & Gamble Co. in a prime-time, general-interest national broadcast.

P&G;’s ad for Crest Whitening Plus Scope features a young Latino couple but has an English tag line.

The ad is another example of the Cincinnati-based consumer giant’s efforts to reach Spanish speakers. There are about 37 million Latinos in the U.S., with buying power pegged at about half a trillion dollars.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to reach out to our Latino market,” said Felisa Insignares, of P&G;’s multicultural external relations.

The ad has aired on Spanish-language television. For general-market viewing, an ending line in English has been added -- “white teeth and fresh breath ... in any language.”

Analysts said the commercial is a daring move for P&G.;

“The most important factor is that [P&G;] has concluded that they are not going to insult English-speakers,” said Arturo Villar, publisher of Hispanic Market Weekly.

The spot marked a rare use of a Spanish-language ad on national network TV. Nike Inc. and PepsiCo Inc. have experimented with ads that included Spanish.

“People are finding that cultural cues relevant to Hispanics are effective for the general market, too,” said Laurel Wentz, an editor at Advertising Age.