Colgate celebrates a range of smiles in music video set to Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’

Life is better when you smile. Cliché, but true. Smiling, laughter—both are contagious. Colgate’s latest campaign from VML is, to no one’s surprise, about showing off your smile. The difference is that this time, the message is less about having the whitest and healthiest smile and more about having confidence in whatever smile you have, regardless of what it looks like. “My Smile Is My Superpower,” launched Monday, features an original music video: “The Beauty of Gaps.” The 90-second spot kicks off as young people of different backgrounds admire their smiles, including ones with gaps, while whistling their own takes of Katy Perry’s “Roar.” Shot by noted music video director Alfred Marroquin, the campaign aims to show everyone that all smiles are beautiful smiles, no matter their size, shape or shade. The musical element of whistling was inspired by the insight that people who have gapped teeth have said their smile helps them whistle better, Diana Haussling, SVP and general manager of consumer experience and growth at Colgate-Palmolive, told Ad Age. “Some of the things that you may at first think may not be perfect or ideal, they’re actually the thing that makes you special,” she said. “For me personally, I actually see my gap as part of my personal brand. I actually can't imagine looking in the mirror and not seeing it there, because it's part of who I am.” The campaign comes as today’s social media and TV personalities boast nearly identical sets of straight, white, gleaming teeth with no gaps, Haussling said. Prior to the development of campaign, Colgate launched a survey to explore consumer attitudes and perceptions of their smile composition, especially to measure confidence among Gen Z. The survey found that nearly 65% of Gen Z reported that pressure to have a perfect smile negatively impacts their confidence. Over 85% said they wanted to change their smile. Ad Age Young Creatives “It was really about being inclusive of all smiles. If you have a gap in your teeth, that’s alright. If you have perfect teeth, great. We want you as well, too. It was about celebrating with all smiles and the power that smiles hold,” Haussling said. “If you’re at the airport and you smile at somebody and they smile back, the energy shifts, the room changes. There is a lot of power in [smiling], and as we were looking at casting, we were [looking at] including all types of smiles in to showcase that confidence.” “My Smile Is My Superpower” marks a departure from the 218-year-old brand’s usual marketing and advertising strategy, which focuses on the scientific aspects of Colgate’s product, especially its cavity protection, gingivitis and plaque prevention, tartar reduction and tooth whitening capabilities. In addition to the video, the company is partnering with talent such as Uzo Aduba from “Orange Is the New Black” and Myha’la Herrold from “Leave the World Behind” to spread the message on smile confidence. That shift is intentional, Haussling asserted, as the brand looks to target more brand competence goals. “[This camapign] is definitely geared toward Gen Z audiences,” she said. “We've spent over 30-plus years working on foundations of oral health with Gen Z and young people through our Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, which brings resources [about oral health] to schools through a mobile dental vehicle and sets the foundation to allow kids to have a positive connection with oral hygiene. … But as we are going through this journey, we found that it’s not just about oral health. Having confidence in your smile is really critical.”

Colgate celebrates a range of smiles in music video set to Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’

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