Crest Confirms It’s Distancing Itself From Scandalized NFL

Earlier today, we told you that Procter & Gamble’s Crest toothpaste brand had reportedly backed out of its deal to sponsor the upcoming Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiative with the NFL because of the recent domestic violence scandals that have rocked the league. Now, the folks at Crest have confirmed they will not be part of this year’s campaign with the NFL.

A rep for P&G sent the following statement to Consumerist:

“Crest believes Breast Cancer Awareness is a critically important program to support women and their health, and, as planned, is making a $100,000 donation to the American Cancer Society for breast cancer awareness and will participate in media and retailer activities to help drive attention to the cause. The brand has decided to cancel on-field activation with NFL teams.”

This makes Procter & Gamble, the largest single buyer of TV advertising in the U.S., the first major company to officially distance itself from the league.

Nike has suspended its endorsement deal with Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson following his indictment on child abuse charges, and companies like beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, PepsiCo, and Marriott have all stated they have expressed their concerns to the league about its heretofore lax policies on off-the-field violence by its players.

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