In re Clorox Consumer Litigation

894 F. Supp. 2d 1224, 2012 WL 3642263
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedAugust 24, 2012
DocketNos. 12-00280 SC, 12-00764 SC, 12-00356 SC, 12-00649 SC, 12-01051 SC
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 894 F. Supp. 2d 1224 (In re Clorox Consumer Litigation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Clorox Consumer Litigation, 894 F. Supp. 2d 1224, 2012 WL 3642263 (N.D. Cal. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART MOTION TO DISMISS

SAMUEL CONTI, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs bring this putative, nationwide class action against Defendant The Clorox Company (“Clorox”) in connection with its marketing and advertising of Fresh Step cat litter. Clorox’s Fresh Step uses carbon to eliminate cat odors, whereas other cat litter products typically use baking soda. Clorox’s marketing campaign allegedly conveys that (1) Fresh Step is more effective at eliminating cat odors than products that do not contain carbon, and (2) cats choose Fresh Step over these other cat litters. Plaintiffs, consumers of Fresh Step from five different states, allege that these statements are false and misleading and are contradicted by scientific studies.

Clorox now moves to dismiss Plaintiffs’ Amended Consolidated Class Action Complaint pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 9(b) and 12(b)(6). ECF No. 43 (“MTD”). As part of its motion to dismiss, Clorox asks the Court to strike Plaintiffs’ class allegations from the complaint pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(f). The motion is fully briefed. ECF Nos. 46 (“Opp’n”), 49 (“Reply”). Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-l(b), the Court finds this matter appropriate for disposition without oral argument. As detailed herein, Clorox’s motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

II. BACKGROUND

In 1984, Clorox began producing Fresh Step cat litter, the “only litter that contains carbon.” ECF No. 29 (“Compl.”) ¶ 27. The carbon particles in Fresh Step control cat waste odors. See id. ¶ 25. Other cat litter brands use different active ingredients to control these odors. See id. ¶ 37. For example, Church & Dwight (“C & D”) markets Super Scoop, a cat litter which uses Arm & Hammer baking soda. Id.

In October 2010, Clorox launched a new advertising campaign to promote Fresh Step. Id. ¶ 28. From October 2010 to Jan[1229]*1229uary 2011, Clorox ran a television commercial featuring videos of playful cats jumping into large and small boxes, including several cats jumping into a litter box -with Fresh Step. Compl. Ex. A.; Schlesinger Decl. ¶ 1, Ex. A.1 Before jumping into the Fresh Step litter box, some of the cats examine and apparently reject a nearby litter box filled with Super Scoop. Id. While this scene plays out, the words “dramatization” and “based on lab tests” appear at the bottom of the screen. The commercial’s voiceover states: “Cats like boxes. Big ones. Little ones. And ones with Fresh Step litter inside. That’s because Fresh Step’s seoopable litter with carbon is better at eliminating odors than Arm & Hammer’s Super Scoop. Fresh Step. Cats know what they like.” Id. Clorox ran an abbreviated version of this ad from December 2010 to January 2011. Schlesinger Decl. ¶ 2; Compl. Ex. B.

In early January 2011, Clorox ran another television commercial featuring videos of cats engaged in playful activities, such as opening jars of cat food, unlocking doors, and thwarting a dog from entering a house. Compl. Ex. C; Schlesinger Decl. ¶ 3, Ex. A. Like the earlier commercials, this commercial concludes by showing cats choosing a box of Fresh Step over a box of Super Scoop. Compl. Ex. C.; Schlesinger Decl. Ex. A. As the video plays, a voice-over states: “Cats are smart. They can outsmart their humans. Their canines. And locked doors. They’re also smart enough to choose the litter with less odors. That’s because Fresh Step Seoopable Litter with carbon is better at eliminating litter box odors than Arm & Hammer Super Scoop. Fresh Step, cats know what they like.” Id.

In response to these commercials (the “First Commercials”), C & D filed an action against Clorox in the Southern District of New York in January 2011. Compl. ¶43, RJN Ex. I.2 C & D alleged that it had commissioned a study to determine the frequency with which house cats would reject Super Scoop and Fresh Step when used in the cat’s everyday litter box. Compl. ¶ 37, RJN Ex. 1 ¶ 24. Of the 158 cats in the study, six rejected their litter box when it was filled with Super Scoop, while eight rejected their litter box when it was filled with Fresh Step. Compl. ¶ 38; RJN Ex. 1 ¶ 25. C & D alleged that the study showed that the litter preference claims in the First Commercials were false and misleading. RJN Ex. 1 ¶ 27. Among other things, C & D asserted a claim for [1230]*1230false advertising in violation of the Lanham Act on the ground that the commercials were likely to mislead consumers into purchasing Fresh Step instead of Super Scoop. Id. ¶¶41, 47-55. Soon after the suit was filed, Clorox ceased airing the First Commercials and C & D voluntarily dismissed its action without prejudice. Compl. ¶ 43.

In February 2011, Clorox began running a new set of commercials (the “Second Commercials”). Compl. ¶ 32. These commercials also show cats engaged in playful activities. Id. Exs. D-E; Schlesinger Decl. Ex. A. They also depict two laboratory beakers, one filled with a black substance labeled “carbon” and the other filled with a white substance labeled “baking soda.” Id. Green gas is then shown floating through the beakers; the green gas in the carbon beaker rapidly dissipates, while the gas in the baking soda beaker barely dissipates. Id. During this demonstration, the voiceover states: “That’s why Fresh Step Scoopable has carbon, which is more effective at absorbing odors than baking soda.” Id. The following text appears at the bottom of the screen during the demonstration: “Dramatization of cat waste malodor after 1 day. Based on sensory lab test.” Id.

In response to the Second Commercials, C & D filed a second lawsuit against Clorox in the Southern District of New York. Compl. ¶ 44, RJN Ex. 3. C & D alleged that it had commissioned an independent laboratory to conduct a ten-day sensory study involving a panel of persons trained in odor evaluation that compared Fresh Step to one of C & D’s baking soda-based cat litters. Compl. ¶¶ 40-41; RJN Ex. 3 ¶ 8. C & D further alleged that, on every single day of the study, and overall across all days, the panelists’ average rating for C & D’s baking soda-based litter was lower than the average rating for Fresh Step, with a lower rating representing a more palatable odor. Compl. ¶ 41; RJN Ex. 3 ¶ 9. Again, C & D alleged that Clorox’s commercials conveyed misleading information about the respective merits of Fresh Step and C & D cat litter products and asserted a Lanham Act claim. RJN Ex. 3 ¶¶ 70-78.

On January 3, 2012, District Judge Jed. S. Rakoff (“Judge Rakoff’) granted C & D’s motion for a preliminary injunction and enjoined Clorox from further airing the Second Commercials. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. v. Clorox Co. (“C & D v. Clorox II”), 840 F.Supp.2d 717, 723 (S.D.N.Y.2012). Clorox appealed the decision, but, before the Second Circuit could rule on the appeal, the parties reached a private settlement and C & D dismissed its claims with prejudice.3

A few weeks after Judge Rakoff issued a preliminary injunction in C & D v. Clorox II,

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Bluebook (online)
894 F. Supp. 2d 1224, 2012 WL 3642263, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-clorox-consumer-litigation-cand-2012.