A Facebook (FB) page posing as SM Megamall uploaded a video promoting an unregistered niacinamide toothpaste.
“P1/araw – Magpaalam sa madilaw na ngipin, masamang hininga na dulot ng tabako, kape at food plaque na may Niacinamide toothpaste (P1 a day – Say goodbye to yellow teeth, bad breath caused by tobacco, coffee and food plaque with niacinamide toothpaste),” was the caption of a June 7 video by FB page SM Megamall Philippines.
The video advertises Bodyaid Niacinamide Toothpaste. The cosmetic product is not registered with the Food and Drug Administration.
Cursory searches show that the mall’s official social media pages and website do not promote the unregistered toothpaste brand.
The bogus FB page, created on May 4, was originally named Agriculture Center – Solution from Japan. It has 2 administrators from Vietnam and one from the Philippines, according to its About Page details.
The ad also used a portion of cardiologist Willie Ong’s old vlog to make it appear he was endorsing the fake toothpaste. It was obvious that the clip from Ong’s vlog was snipped from the original and inserted into the fake ad. The audio was also overlaid with another man’s voice whose spiel was to promote the product.
SM Megamall Philippines’ ad got a total of 1.9 million interactions. It appeared a day after the June 6 midyear sale at Watsons drugstore.
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