The Brief

As any parent will testify, persuading a child to brush their teeth can be a pain; sometimes even ending in tantrums and tears. Getting families to brush just 2 times a day for just 2 minutes helps prevent tooth decay and other oral conditions. ToothPet was created in response to a Colgate advertising brief for new advertising to encourage families and children to brush their teeth twice a day. The agency wanted to change experience of brushing to influence deep-rooted behaviors and create new habits, as well as making tooth brushing fun.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

Instead of writing another PSA ad or jingle, the Agency created ToothPet, an electronic toy with a built-in virtual pet that clips onto ordinary toothbrushes. It promotes good long-term brushing habits as they try to keep their pets alive by brushing twice a day. The toy is activated by the physical motion of brushing, and that keeps the virtual pet ‘healthy’. The key objective is to encourage toothbrushing in young children, particularly in underdeveloped markets where it is not a regular habit. In addition, it also represents a strategic growth opportunity for Colgate to sell more toothpaste and toothbrushes.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

ToothPet’s prototype was completed in November 2012 and tested positively with sample families, who reported that tooth brushing became more fun, consistent and frequent. Early signs indicate increased brand loyalty amongst target audience. As a result, Global roll-out of ToothPet is scheduled for Q4 2013. ToothPet will be distributed as part of, and add excitement to, Colgate’s Oral Health Month (OHM), an annual initiative promoting oral health in partnership with local Dental Associations. ToothPet will be sampled to children to use at home as part of OHM’s free dental clinics and oral care education activities.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

After coming up with the idea of a toothbrush attachment with a built-in game, the challenges were to make it simple enough for 8 -12 year old children in developing markets to use, and cost-effective enough to mass-produce as a sampling give-away. It also had to appeal to both genders, and be understandable by parents who might not be technologically savvy themselves. The ToothPet digital game fits the bill. It encourages young children to clean their teeth. It is easy to use, children can attach it to the toothbrush themselves and enjoy the game of keeping their 'ToothPet' alive.