Packaging Matters

ALL MATERIALS SHOULD BE COHESIVE.

Having joined a creative agency prior to my current line of work, it was important for us to ensure that every medium and collateral is in line with our overall campaign for any brand. That's what creative agencies are for, anyway. We plan and execute the campaign--from above-the-line to below-the-line efforts and corporate materials.

It was only recently that Colgate started airing their new Colgate Slim Soft toothbrush in local primetime slots. What's interesting about Colgate's new toothbrush is its product proposition of 0.01mm bristles that deeply clean below the gum line as compared to their previous version.

But what makes the new Colgate Slim Soft cleverly executed is its packaging.

Sure, the TV Commercial (TVC) clearly communicates its unique selling proposition--even with the usual Colgate toothbrush TVC format. But even more, the packaging makes it all the more clever: its blister packaging is purposely designed to look like a "1". Yes, you read it right. It looks like the number one. It's a clever way of stressing the point that it has a very thin bristle, but even greater, it was cleverly executed in the TVC that it looks like the number 1 toothbrush (aside from the fact that Colgate is supposedly the number one recommend brand by dentists).

Having been part of a creative agency, it is fantastic to see the elements across all materials communicating one clear and single proposition. After all, that's what agencies should attain. And I find that Colgate's new toothbrush was able to do it with its TVC and not-so-usual packaging.

Granted, it might have been better if they had more point-of-purchase (POP) materials to communicate their proposition. Say, a tactical bin that is shaped like a "1"? I wasn't able to see any POP material for it in any supermarket so far, so they could have done something in that area. Th

Here is Colgate's Slim Soft Toothbrush's TVC: