• by Fern Siegel , April 5, 2024

Colgate believes every smile is beautiful, whatever size or shape.

To prove it, the company launched “My Smile is My Superpower” campaign, which includes the music video “The Beauty of Gaps,” produced by Alfred Marroquin.

Creative agency VML is responsible for the campaign.

Colgate launched a Smile survey by Censuswide in January to explore attitudes about smiles among Gen Z. It found nearly 65% of the participants felt pressured to have a perfect smile, negatively impacting their confidence. More than 85% wanted to change their smile.

To combat anxiety, the company also enlisted celebrity talent, such as actress Uzo Aduba (“Orange is the New Black") and Myha’la Herrold (“Leave the World Behind”), to spread its upbeat message.

“Smile” runs on streaming TV, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitch. OOH work in New York City reaches consumers on subway liveboards, LinkNYC screens and handpaint placements in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to connect with Gen Z.

Fred Saldanha, global chief creative officer, Colgate-Palmolive, VML, said: “Advertising tends to reflect society, but in this case, we knew we had to bring a different point of view. That gap between the teeth, besides being a genuine and contagious smile, also helps you whistle like nobody else. Not to mention how incredible it was to see how all these young people who participated in the campaign and instinctively put on their pop-star cape.”

Colgateis also committed to reaching 250,000 kids with smile confidence resources by the end of 2024 through its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program.