Tag: Smile Strong

Australia – Colgate has been championing the importance of inclusivity through its ‘Smile Strong’ brand platform, and today, we see its ANZ team bringing a stride to this mission for the belonging of athletes. Previously, the brand has partnered with Australia’s football league, the AFL, and a new project has come to the fore that involves an innovative sports equipment prototype. 

Called the ‘Hear Gear’, Colgate and agency VMLY&R have tied up with sports equipment maker Steeden to develop a headgear that is suitable for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes. Traditional headgear is designed to sit flush against the head to protect the wearer, but this would also mean that for a player donning a hearing implant, not being able to maximise such assistance as the standard headpiece also absorbs the vibrations that carry sound to it.

Ideated by VMLY&R and designed, tested, and built by Steeden, the creation of ‘Hear Gear’ aims to help to create a more equitable environment for hearing-impaired athletes. It uses a new mould with redesigned padding that both accommodates and channels sound to the hearing implant. The lines external to ‘Hear Gear’ represent the sound that is now being channelled towards the ear. 

Anthony Crewes, marketing director of Colgate-Palmolive ANZ, said the ‘Hear Gear’ project is a truly meaningful expression of its ‘Smile Strong’ platform. He shared that it is mainly inspired by QAFLW athlete Jamie Howell’s real-life experience as a hard-hearing sports player, which in turn, could have wide-reaching effects in the whole of Australia. 

“Now, we have moved from telling stories to actively creating them!” remarked Crewes. 

Back in September 2022, we hear Howell’s story for the first time under the ‘Smile Strong’ campaign. For the present project, Colgate has unveiled a short film that shows the amazing design of ‘Hear Gear’ and Howell trying it out for herself. 

Colgate has funded the first production run of ‘Hear Gear’ via Steeden, which is the sole owner of the design, in order for AFL players to start having a more fulfilling and comfortable experience on the playing field. 

“We are so fortunate to work with a brand that doesn’t just talk about optimism, they do things in the real world to create it,” said Paul Nagy, CCO of VMLY&R AUNZ. “It’s a connected brand really having a positive impact. Hear Gear is a simple tool that gives more Australians the ability to enjoy sport just like everybody else, and I’m proud to have been a part of it.” 

Malaysia – Colgate in Malaysia has launched a new installment for its global-wide inspirational brand campaign titled ‘Smile Strong’ that seeks to champion positive change within the community, particularly during uncertain times. This new brand film highlights the ‘power of smile’ in the face of adversity.

The latest film tells the story of Malaysian singer, songwriter, and rapper Airliftz, who despite relentless challenges throughout his life brought by his in-born facial deformities, continues to ‘smile strong’. The 24-year-old Kajang artist was born with a nose missing cartilage, making him instantly recognisable by his unconventional appearance.

Developed in collaboration with Red Fuse, WPP’s integrated global team dedicated to serving Colgate-Palmolive, the cinematic direction of the film takes the viewer on a journey through Airliftz’s life from childhood, giving a very real insight into what he has faced throughout his life. 

Moreover, about 90% of the film is shot from the back, retracing significant and often heartbreaking moments in his life, until he walks from the dressing room to the stage where he is greeted by thousands of excited fans. The contrasting stories aim to demonstrate how his willpower and determination have broken through societal biases, which ultimately led him to share his passion with the world.

Colgate said that Airliftz’s poignant story was chosen to inspire and remind Malaysians that with perseverance and a positive attitude, we can all achieve great things that can change our life forever.

See Mei Sin, associate marketing director for Oral Care at Colgate-Pamolive, said, “Colgate believes that everyone deserves a future they can smile about – no matter the age, race, gender, or simply one’s looks. It is our hope that Airliftz’ story inspires an optimistic spirit within Malaysians – that there is true power in our smile, regardless of our circumstances.”

Meanwhile, Adrian Miller, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Malaysia, shared that in the toothpaste category, they don’t tend to see much deviation from the norm when it comes to brand storytelling, and so, they always ask themselves how can they bring a fresh perspective to well-trodden territory.

“By keeping the protagonist’s face hidden throughout the commercial and juxtaposing the harsh realities of his past life with the adulation he’s receiving in the present we created a film that will intrigue the viewer. In a world of disposable content, the best we can hope for is for people to watch to the very end and the least we can do is reward them for doing so,” said Miller.

The new film will be running in cinema and digital until December 2022.

Manila, Philippines – The Colgate brand has been doubling down on its global-wide advertising campaigns, where its optimism-themed #SmileStrong campaign released just recently in Southeast Asia market Malaysia. Today, another region-bound country, the Philippines, has officially announced its installment of the campaign, where the specific Colgate arm decided to spotlight on the optimistic attitude among individuals with special needs.

Three individuals are the protagonists of the Filipino ad spots – teacher and motivational speaker and born with down syndrome Brina Maxino, local actress Candy Pangilinan who is mother to a son who has ADHD, and Arizza Nocum, peace advocate and entrepreneur who co-founded KRIS, a non-profit organization promoting peace through education.

Much like the Malaysian campaign, the ambassadors in the spot states a recurring statement of “When they say…I smile,” where they share people’s judgments of their capabilities and capping it off with a positive “I smile.”

Colgate Philippines, in a press statement, shared that with the local implementation of the global advocacy, it hopes to make the same big impact that other #SmileStrong campaigns in other key markets have generated, which is “an increase of brand love and loyalty among consumers.”

The country’s Marketing Director Ari Mandelbaum speaks of how the ad aims to break the false positivity in “Filipino resilience” and inspire “optimism in action” instead.

“The common Filipino’s ‘resilience’ has constantly been held up as a shining character trait even in the face of natural disasters, violent conflict, poverty, and a number of deep-seated societal issues,” he said.

However, Mandelbaum added, “A growing number of people are seeing ‘The Filipino Resilience’ as a glorified coping mechanism, seemingly resigned to just powering through adversities with a mindset to live just to survive each day. At Colgate, we believe that it takes more than optimism to power through the challenges of today, thus launching #SmileStrong where we encourage Filipinos to believe and uphold the power of ‘optimism in action.’”

Together with Colgate-Palmolive’s global creative partner Red Fuse, which is advertising and communications company WPP’s integrated global team, the brand in the Philippines has tapped another WPP network – integrated marketing communications firm SOHO Square, its local arm – to bring the local rendition to fruition.

Caloy Sambrano, managing partner at SOHO Square Philippines said, “As an agency, we have developed and implemented various equity campaigns in the past, but we must say that this Colgate #SmileStrong campaign is one, if not the most, important campaign that we have ever done. We wanted each and every Filipino to feel inspired and relate to the stories of our muses especially when they see the contents that we put out.”

Following the global campaign’s wide marketing strategy, Colgate Philippines will be releasing integrated communications across digital and public relations, where activations in partnership with muses Arizza, Candy, and Brina will be run until 2021.

Aside from the #SmileStrong campaign, Colgate-Palmolive has earlier piloted its “Made for Greatness” campaign in Thailand, featuring professional climber and Academy Award-winning documentary director Jimmy Chin. The campaign is said to be progressively rolled out across Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia & New Zealand.