Colgate, the world’s most used oral care brand, has launched its new brand system to transform dental hygiene for children and parents. Thanks to an integrated approach by brand acceleration agency bluemarlin, Colgate is now ready to revitalise the kid’s oral care landscape with a fun world of toothpastes and toothbrushes to accompany its multiplatform educational programmes and materials.

Children typically resist parents’ clarion call to stop having fun and focus on brushing their teeth, which makes getting ready for bed a stressful time for everyone! Colgate and bluemarlin’s collaboration promises to make toothbrushing an enjoyable and informative part of every child’s routine as early in life as possible, as well as reassuring parents they’re providing the best care.

bluemarlin designer Josh White, who led the packaging project, said: “We’ve made it easier for children from nought to nine and their parents to find the perfect products for their needs, clearly indicating age suitability and highlighting key benefits across the portfolio.” “We’ve developed a brand world that connects with characters from Colgate’s Smile O’Clock multiplatform educational campaign, which works to engage kids and reassure parents.”

The end result strikes a balance between appealing to parents (the shoppers and carers) and children (the end users).

Digital connections
Both target consumer groups are tech savvy, with Millennial parents used to researching all of life’s issues online and Gen Alpha permanently connected. bluemarlin’s on- and off-pack work means the in-real-life products are now fully integrated with the digital world. bluemarlin has strengthened Colgate’s position as the oral care brand that supports parents in looking after their children’s dental health by using characters from Smile O’Clock, breaking the ‘fourth wall’ to connect with everyone. White added: “Our approach allowed the characters to extend beyond the confines of traditional packaging, drawing consumers into their world and vice versa. The famous Colgate Smile brand mark has been used to great effect, too, framing the visual assets, and QR codes further enhance connectivity.”

Unifying brand worlds
Ihtiander Muggia, Colgate Director Europe, said: “bluemarlin’s brand development works perfectly with our wider digital world, helping us bring to life Colgate’s brand promise whilst helping kids and parents improve oral health habits. “We looked to bluemarlin to bridge the gap between parents and children, making oral hygiene a more enjoyable and less dreaded part of their daily routine. bluemarlin has helped us create a unified, engaging brand world for parents and children, fostering a lifelong commitment to oral care. “The creative team has captured the energy and vibrancy of our brand – essential for our target demographic.”