It's dangerous to cross Rosie O'Donnell. Donny Osmond learned that lesson, and now, so has Scope.
The talk show queen has exacted sweet revenge for a Scope poll that proclaimed her one of the nation's least kissable celebrities. The mouthwash maker's archrival, Listerine, was only too happy to help.Scope's poll, released just before Valentine's Day, listed O'Donnell along with such notables as Newt Gingrich and Dennis Rodman. O'Donnell quickly went on the attack.
"I'd just want you to remember that Listerine kills the germs that cause bad breath," she said on her talk show Feb. 18. "And remember, just say nope to Scope.
"I will teach them to mess with me," she added with a laugh.
Listerine showered O'Donnell with love, calling her the "queen of kissing" and placing lip-smacking newspaper ads about her.
The mouthwash maker also agreed to donate $1,000 to For All Kids, an O'Donnell fund for disadvantaged children, each time she kissed someone on her show, probably until May.
The bonanza of publicity hasn't come cheap. Through Thursday, Listerine's parent company said it has donated $151,000.
An endless stream of notables have dropped by for a buss, including the cast of the Broadway show, "The King and I."
Listerine and Scope account for about 60 percent of the mouthwash market, with Listerine clearly ahead.
And Listerine expects the lead to widen. The company has received more than 100 e-mails from people saying they are switching from Scope because of the Rosie snub, said Stephen Moch, spokesman for Warner-Lambert Co., Listerine's corporate parent.
The running gag has become a running nightmare for Scope.
"It was intended in fun," said Jim Schwartz, a spokesman for Scope's corporate parent, Procter & Gamble. "We didn't mean to inadvertently hurt anyone. We've offered our apologies and they've been accepted."
Schwartz wouldn't say whether Scope regretted even getting involved with the poll in the first place. It's one idea that won't be stolen by its chief competitor.
"By and large, the theories behind advertising and marketing is that it's better to make points about positive things rather than taking shots at someone," Moch said. "As you can see here, it always has the potential to backfire."
Procter & Gamble can only hope that its company officials don't have to go to the same lengths as Osmond when he got on O'Donnell's bad side for a comment about her weight.
Osmond won forgiveness only after he came on the show dressed in a dog suit and sang his hit, "Puppy Love."
"The Rosie O'Donnell Show" airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on KSTU-Ch. 13.