Colgate: Not Every Smile Starts as a Smile
Colgate needed to address a severe pediatric oral health crisis in the UK while strengthening its bond with parents. The brand sought to move beyond clinical authority to become a true ally. VML Paris was tasked with encouraging better brushing habits for children aged 6 - 10 by acknowledging the daily difficulties parents face in establishing these essential routines.
Creative Idea
Replaced perfect commercial smiles with raw photography of children having tantrums during toothbrushing.
Colgate addressed the UK's pediatric dental crisis by ditching perfect advertising tropes, instead validating the raw, tantrum - filled reality of toothbrushing to position the brand as a supportive ally for parents during the difficult journey toward a healthy smile.
Capturing the Raw Chaos of the Smile Fight
Documenting the Brushing Battleground
To achieve the campaign's visceral visual impact, VML Paris partnered with renowned Danish photographer Peter Funch. Known for his "street photography" style, Funch eschewed traditional commercial staging to capture the "decisive moment" of parental struggle. The production intentionally avoided professional child actors, focusing instead on documenting genuine, unscripted tantrums. This documentary approach highlighted the "raw reality" of oral hygiene, moving away from the spotless bathrooms and angelic imagery typical of the category.
From Viral Reach to Public Health
The campaign’s impact was immediate, generating 1.2 million impressions within its first 24 hours. Beyond digital reach, it achieved a +65% brand recall for Colgate Kids products and a 35% increase in engagement from UK families. These metrics were backed by a massive logistical undertaking: a partnership with the UK government to donate 23 million products over five years. This initiative supports a supervised toothbrushing scheme reaching 600,000 children in the nation’s most deprived areas, addressing the fact that dental issues are the leading cause of hospital admissions for UK children aged 6 to 10.
Bridging Print and Digital Utility
While the campaign was a masterclass in high - contrast print photography, it utilized QR codes to transform static ads into functional tools. These codes directed parents to a digital hub featuring "brushing hacks" and practical advice, shifting Colgate’s positioning from a clinical authority to a "true ally." Global Chief Creative Officer Debbi Vandeven noted that the project was about crafting meaningful experiences that move people while driving real - world health outcomes.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A global dental leader with the scale to partner with governments and donate millions of oral care products.
Category
Dental brands typically show pristine bathrooms and angelic, cooperative children, ignoring the messy reality of parenting.
Customer
Parents who feel guilty or exhausted by the nightly battle of forcing their resistant children to brush.
Culture
A growing demand for 'raw' authenticity over polished perfection, coupled with a national crisis in pediatric dental health.
Company
A global dental leader with the scale to partner with governments and donate millions of oral care products.
Category
Dental brands typically show pristine bathrooms and angelic, cooperative children, ignoring the messy reality of parenting.
Strategy:
Validate the painful process of habit formation to build trust as a realistic partner in health.
Customer
Parents who feel guilty or exhausted by the nightly battle of forcing their resistant children to brush.
Culture
A growing demand for 'raw' authenticity over polished perfection, coupled with a national crisis in pediatric dental health.
Strategy:
Validate the painful process of habit formation to build trust as a realistic partner in health.
Results
Colgate partnered with the UK government to launch a supervised toothbrushing program. They committed to donating over 23 million toothbrushes and toothpastes over the next 5 years. The program aims to reach up to 600,000 children in the most deprived areas per year. The campaign drove parents to online educational resources, including training sequences, wall posters, and guides on how to brush correctly. The initiative involved a £11 million investment from the government in local authorities across England.
23M+
products donated
600K
children reached per year
£11M
government investment
Strategy Technique
Find the Missing Conversation
While competitors focused on the end result of perfect smiles, Colgate owned the uncomfortable, universal 'smile fight' that happens in bathrooms every night, transforming a private frustration into a shared brand mission.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Lean Into the Problem
By showcasing the unglamorous, stressful reality of children resisting toothbrushing, Colgate built authentic empathy with parents, proving they understand the struggle is a necessary step toward long - term oral health.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's power lies in its raw honesty and high-contrast art direction, turning a mundane parenting struggle into a heroic, cinematic moment.
The high-contrast, emotive stills capture the 'battle' of toothbrushing with a dignity and scale usually reserved for sports or fashion.
The tagline 'Not every smile starts as a smile' perfectly flips the brand's core asset (smiles) to acknowledge the difficult reality of oral care.
The seamless integration of low-fi user-generated content with premium campaign visuals creates a relatable yet aspirational brand voice.
Strategically placing the 'struggle' imagery in high-traffic public spaces like train stations ensures maximum visibility for the government partnership.
The synergy between the raw UGC footage and the polished photography validates the parent's experience while positioning Colgate as the professional ally.
