A Toothpaste Democracy is Sweeping America!

CINCINNATI, June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For too long Americans have had little chance to say something about an issue that affects their daily lives: the flavor of their toothpaste. Consumers are tired of mint, mint and more mint and it's time to give them what they really want -- a chance to vote for their favorite new flavors of toothpaste. In an effort to demolish the toothpaste dictatorship, Crest Whitening Expressions is launching an election campaign that will allow the people of America to stand up, be heard, and vote for their favorite new flavors in a leading toothpaste line.

From May 2nd through July 31st consumers will have the chance to voice their choice, choosing between three candidates:

* Lemon Ice: An icy burst of lemon flavor that cools your mouth and wakes your senses. * Sweet Berry Punch: A sweet, tangy berry flavor that leaves your mouth refreshingly thrilled. * Tropica Exotica: An explosion of exotic fruit flavors that leaves your mouth fresh and alive.

Even Hollywood's getting in on the voting action -- stars from the "West Wing" to "Joey" have voiced their choice! Actress Drea de Matteo said, "My vote goes to Lemon Ice -- I love it because it tastes like Lemon Meringue Pie!" Actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jane Kaczmarek also chose Lemon Ice while Jane's hubby, actor Bradley Whitford, chose Tropica Exotica.

"This is about freedom of flavor," said Matt Barresi, associate director of marketing -- Procter & Gamble North America Oral Care. "We want to give the public a chance to take this matter into their own hands and tell us what they think the next flavors of Crest Whitening Expressions should be, thereby creating a true toothpaste democracy."

Much like a presidential election, this one is open to people eighteen years of age and older in all fifty United States. Participants can vote for their favorite next flavor of Whitening Expressions by visiting campaign headquarters, located at http://www.crest.com/, or by clicking on banners (on MSN.com, citysearch.com, evite.com, abc.com, abcnews.com, etc.). Consumers can also call 1-877-771-VOTA from May 2 to July 31 to cast their vote. The winning flavor will be announced on September 5 and will be available on store shelves thereafter.

About Crest Whitening Expressions

Crest Whitening Expressions is the first full line of paste and liquid-gel toothpastes that combines Crest's whitening technology with an unexpected brushing experience to introduce consumers to what Crest calls "the clean you crave" -- the ability to create a personal smile care experience that is fun, flavorful and exciting for whatever mood you're in.

Crest Whitening Expressions is currently available in four refreshing flavors: Refreshing Vanilla Mint, Cinnamon Rush, Extreme Herbal Mint and Fresh Citrus Breeze. The collection has a suggested retail price of $2.99 for a 6.0 oz paste and gel or 4.6 oz liquid gel and is available at mass, food and drug retailers nationwide.

Crest(R) is owned and distributed by Procter & Gamble . Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Bounty(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Actonel(R), Olay(R) and Clairol Nice 'n Easy(R), Head & Shoulders(R), and Wella. The P&G community consists of almost 110,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.