Colgate: GLOW IN THE DARK TEEN IDOL POSTER

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Use of Print or Standard Outdoor in a Promotional Campaign

Advertiser: COLGATE-PALMOLIVE

Product/Service: COLGATE TOTAL

Agency: Y&R SINGAPORE

Executive Creative Director: Shen Guan Tan (Y&R Hong Kong)

Creative Director: Edward Ong (Y&R Singapore)

Creative Director: Han Ming Toh (Y&R Singapore)

Art Director: Hisashi Mitsui (Y&R Singapore)

Designer: Somjai Satjatham (Y&R Singapore)

Copywriter: Edward Ong (Y&R Singapore)

Retoucher: Sam Ng (Y&R Singapore)

Designer: Weng Heng Lo (Y&R Singapore)

Production Manager: Kirby Ho (Y&R Singapore)

Production Manager: Justin Chua (Y&R Singapore)

Account Executive: Friska Fredireca (Y&R Singapore)

Photographer: Chai Guan Teo (Teo Studio)

Media placement: Magazine Poster - Teens Magazine - 17 April 2012



Describe the objective of the promotion.

For over 100 years, Colgate has been marketing toothpastes to mothers. This year, we decided to expand our customer base by talking to a whole new audience: tweens. According to recent studies, this particular segment has considerable influence in household purchases. It seemed like the logical choice.



Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation.

Unfortunately, toothpastes are not something young people think about everyday. What they do talk about however are celebrities. Anybody who's ever been in front of a camera, ever sang a song or appeared on a reality show is good enough. Can we talk to young people by letting celebrities talk to them? Yes we can. We contacted Teens Magazine. Despite its name, the majority of their readers are tweens who aspire to be teens. Then we asked a local celebrity if he would like to be a role model to young people. Teens Magazine gave him the centrefold, and he gave us his best smile.



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

Most people brush their teeth twice a day. Most people also forget to brush their teeth at night. To reach and remind our tweens to brush their teeth, we knew we had to surprise them. Hidden beneath the centrefold, our poster appeared just before they closed their eyes.



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

After tweens put up the poster, something unexpected happened at night. Those who didn't brush their teeth promptly did so. Then they went and told their friends. Their friends went out, bought the magazine, and told more people. Before long, the work started appearing on FB, Multiply, tumblr and other social media sites. Their parents thought it was a great idea and told other parents who bought the magazine (and Colgate toothpastes) for their children. And while all this was happening, sales have quietly gone up by a modest 0.7%.