Toothpaste Brand Smyle Calls on the Industry in Campaign Against Plastic Pollution

Smyle, a Dutch producer of plastic-free oral care products, has launched an awareness campaign about plastic pollution. The goal: to encourage both the industry and consumers to make the switch to plastic-free products and packaging.

Plastic-free choices: not difficult, but essential

Almar Fernhout, founder of Smyle, "Each year, 11 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans. A large portion of that comes from single-use packaging. Completely unnecessary, because plastic-free choices are not hard to make. And this campaign makes it instantly clear that making the switch is essential."

The new campaign, which features three iconic sea characters, was created by Fitzroy.

Mischa Schreuder, creative partner at Fitzroy, "When we heard that Smyle has already prevented nearly 10,000,000 plastic packages and microplastics from entering the ocean thanks to their plastic-free packaging, we knew we had to make this visible in a striking way.

We used well-known sea icons like Nemo, Ariel, and Moana. We show these icons in their natural habitat — and these days, that’s not the beautiful scene we're used to from fairy tales and cartoons. Smyle is continuing this mission and will launch many more initiatives so that together, we can make a real difference — now and in the future."

Industry can create major impact quickly

With this campaign, Smyle is also calling on the industry to get involved. Fernhout, “Since our founding in 2020, we’ve already saved 10 million plastic toothpaste tubes — and we want to double that number as soon as possible.

But imagine what we could achieve if we joined forces with the big players like Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and GSK. That would have an immediate impact: millions fewer plastic tubes ending up in our oceans, nature, and incinerators. I see no reason why that shouldn’t be possible.”

Who wants to brush their teeth with plastic?

Consumer awareness when purchasing products is essential — not just regarding packaging, but also concerning microplastics in the products themselves. Fernhout, "Who wants to brush their teeth with plastic?"

The campaign includes billboards and social media content, and will run for six weeks.