Colgate is on a mission to close gaps. But they’re not touching those between teeth. 

 

Rather, the oral care giant is addressing the gap between reality and unrealistic beauty standards that people – particularly Gen Z-aged and under – feel they need to live up to—in a new campaign dubbed My Smile is My Superpower.

 

The campaign’s aim is to disseminate the message of embracing all smiles, no matter the perceived imperfection in size, shape, or shade of teeth. A smile survey by Censuswide found that as high as 85% of Gen Zers wished to change their smile with nearly 65% reporting feelings of lower confidence from pressure to change it. So, Colgate sought to change the narrative.

Created in partnership with creative agency VML, the new campaign celebrates a range of unique smiles in an original music video aptly titled, “The Beauty of Gaps” set to the backdrop of a whistled take on Katy Perry’s self-empowering, Grammy-nominated hit, “Roar.” 

 

“Advertising tends to reflect society, but in this case, we knew we had to bring a different point of view,” said Fred Saldanha, global chief creative officer, Colgate-Palmolive. “At a time when the pressure for perfection is a reality for many kids, we decided to celebrate those smiles that unfortunately don't fit beauty standards. That's how ‘My Smile Is My Superpower’ was born. Where some people see a flaw, Colgate sees a superpower.”

 

That’s how Dianna Haussling, Colgate’s senior vice president-general manager, consumer experience and growth, felt about her own gapped smile.

 

“I didn’t grow up self-conscious about my smile at all,” she told Happi in an exclusive interview. “I grew up with so much confidence about it. When I was a kid, a lot of what my parents told me was that it was a sign of creativity. Now, I see it as my personal brand, but a lot of the times I looked at it as, ‘This is my thing. It’s kind of cool. It makes me who I am. I went into spaces and rooms with confidence in myself. In the dentist office, [they’d ask,] ‘Do you want to close that?’ And I was like, “No, sir. I’m good.” 

 

Haussling says she attributes this confidence not just to self-belief, but from surrounding herself with loving family and friends, as the people in one’s life can have a major influence on how people see themselves, she mused.

 

“It was a badge of honor,” she said of her hereditary gap. “That’s how I walked through the world.”

With the new campaign, Colgate is hoping Haussling’s story about self-love and confidence reverberates with young audiences. 

 

The brand aims to bring smile confidence resources to a targeted quarter of a million kids through year’s end via its Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program. 

 

Since its founding in 1991, Bright Smiles, Bright Futures has reportedly reached over 1.7 billion children and their families, instilling kids with good oral hygiene habits like the importance of twice-daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste. It also works to link underserved communities to oral health education, free dental screenings, and treatment referrals.

 

On March 21 in New York City, Colgate held a panel discussion on smile confidence with actress Myha’la Herrold of Netflix thriller “Leave The World Behind.” Attendees were treated to rejuvenating lip treatments and had their portraits taken by professional photographers. 

 

Check out “The Beauty of Gaps” music video, here: