FREE SWEETS?! How did this brand use popsicle sticks to create a clever and impactful campaign?

Thursday: Gorillas of Guerilla Marketing FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Thinking outside of the box has its advantages too! In the context of marketing, doing so leads to fun and creative campaigns that leave a memorable brand recall among consumers. One of these think-outside-of-the-box strategies? Guerrilla Marketing! Keep reading to know how this popular toothpaste brand got its message across using a SWEET Guerrilla Marketing campaign! CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

FREE SWEETS?! How did this brand use popsicle sticks to create a clever and impactful campaign? ♩♫ “Brush, brush, brush three times a day. Brush, brush, brush to keep the cavities away!” ♩♫ Does this jingle sound familiar? It reminds us about proper dental hygiene to avoid cavities and other gum diseases, all while using a specific toothpaste brand. COLGATE … is a brand that almost everyone knows. It mainly provides its consumers with oral hygiene products such as toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, and dental floss. First introduced in 1873 by the Colgate-Palmolive company, Colgate became one of the top brands in the dental industry. Today, Colgate is considered as the leading brand in oral hygiene and continues to provide people around the world with a wide variety of dental care products. One of the reasons why this brand maintains its top rank is the all sorts of innovative campaigns they execute to promote their products. One stunt of theirs… THE COLGATE TOOTHBRUSH POPSICLE STICK Did you know that there’s such a thing as an “Oral Health Month?” Though the exact month varies per year, guess who often participates in it? COLGATE! During the Oral Health Month, people are given the chance to take part in dental-related activities that create awareness about the importance of oral hygiene. People in the industry mostly watch out for the numerous conventions held during this time. Different companies usually give free samples of their products to people who attend these events. Colgate, on the other hand, did something quite unexpected, different, and ironic. In the 2009 Oral Health Month event in Thailand, Colgate gave ice cream popsicles, cotton candy, and lollipops to everyone who attended, especially to kids. Doesn’t this plan defeat the whole purpose of the event? Isn’t the event supposed to promote proper dental hygiene? Don’t sweets contribute to the cause of cavities and tooth decay? The ice cream popsicles, cotton candy, and lollipops all had one thing in common. They were all on sticks. The secret surprise? Those who received and finished eating the sweet treats were left with a toothbrush-shaped stick that revealed a message: “Don’t Forget” + the Colgate logo Clever, right? Attendees of the event were treated with sweet treats and Colgate got to promote its brand together with a witty reminder on oral hygiene. Colgate celebrated Oral Health month by bringing these sweets to multiple schools in Thailand to promote oral health care awareness. Surely, a lot of kids enjoyed Colgate’s campaign! Quite a smart and innovative move for Colgate! Through this guerrilla marketing campaign, the brand reached a lot of people, especially the younger generation, about the importance of dental care. The stunt also contributed to strengthening its position as a top-of-mind household brand. We know that it’s a must to brush our teeth at least 2 to 3 times a day but some kids don’t always remember that. No wonder Colgate chose to target kids and remind them about brushing their teeth! Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerilla Marketing!