A Fresh Take on Toothbrushes

WHY IS THIS WORK RELEVANT FOR DESIGN? 

As the experts in all things brush related, we reimagined the toothbrush to answer the cultural needs of African youth. Our set of custom edition, bespoke brushes: the EdgeBrush™, KickBrush™ and GameBrush™, were inspired by the hair, sneaker and gaming industries respectively. By tapping into existing behaviour, we created an entirely new genre of brushes that showed up for African youth in a way that made them feel seen and understood.

BACKGROUND 

Toothbrushes have been sold the same way for the last 213 years. But, with sales plateauing and limited standout within the oral hygiene category, we needed to do something different.

We discovered that African youth use toothbrushes for so much more than just brushing teeth. From hair care and styling, to sneakers and gaming, toothbrushes have found an unexpected place in popular culture.

CREATIVE IDEA

As the experts in all things brush related, we connected Colgate to culture and extended our range.

Introducing Colgate NuGen – new brushes for a new generation.

NuGen is a set of 3 brushes, tailor made for the African youth. Using the traditional toothbrush as a foundation for design, we reimagined each brush’s body and bristles to answer the cultural needs of African youth.

EdgeBrush™

A sleek, tapered end to part hair accurately, and a head of ultra-smooth
bristles that style baby hairs with ease.

KickBrush™

A thicker handle for an extra-firm grip, and soft bristles to gently
brush away dirt on a pair of kicks.

GameBrush™

Firm, V-shaped bristles and a 30˚ angled head to remove dust from those hard-to-reach places on gaming keyboards and consoles. 

STRATEGY 

With over 145 years’ in the market, Colgate is a leading oral hygiene brand. Driven by the brand purpose of “championing optimism”, we are committed to creating healthy smiles for all.

But for Gen Z, smiles mean more than having good oral care. They need to have substance. So, we reimagined our range and showed up as more than just an oral hygiene brand.

From hair care and styling, to cleaning sneakers and gaming gear, we discovered that toothbrushes have found an unexpected place in African youth culture.

As the experts in brush sizes, bristle textures and angles, we used our knowledge to design a bespoke set of brushes that answered the cultural needs of African youth.

NuGen took Colgate beyond conventional retail environments. For the first time, we were able to step into the South African hair, sneaker and gaming industries – segments worth $523M, $97M and $310M respectively.

EXECUTION 

We packaged NuGen in recycled and biodegradable packaging and sent our brushes to Gen Z influencers breaking ground in the beauty, sneaker, and gaming industries.

Limited drops opened the door for us to step into new categories. For the first time, we were able to show up in sneaker stores, hair salons and gaming stores – extending our retail footprint and showing up in the places and spaces our consumers live their lives.