Problem Solved: Creating A ‘NuGen’ of Colgate Toothbrushes
Colgate and agency VMLY&R South Africa created three brand new, stylish and functional toothbrushes to show how they play a part in African youth culture. Often, toothbrushes are used to lay down baby hairs, get the grime out of your latest pair of trainers or even clean in between your keyboard. Now, with the newly developed toothbrushes, there’s a specific product for each one of those needs.
With plenty of research behind them, the EdgeBrush™, KickBrush™ and GameBrush™ mark a NuGen-eration of brushes which are not only functional but stylish in their design and even feature recyclable, biodegradable packaging. Initially launching and being tested by gen z influencers, the prototype stock was also showcased in sneaker stores, hair salons and gaming stores. With the positive reception of its prototype batch, Colgate and VMLY&R are continuing to develop and perfect the toothbrushes for a full launch in the market.
Speaking to LBB, the VMLY&R South Africa team explain the process behind the campaign which won a 'Design' Bronze Lion in the 'Craft' category at the 2022 Cannes Lions festival. From the initial ideation of the brushes to prototype creation, and everything in between, here's how it was created.
What You Made
We connected with African youth and created a set of bespoke Colgate brushes designed for the alternative purposes that they typically use toothbrushes for once the brushes have reached the end of their lifecycle: Colgate NuGen – new brushes for a new generation.
NuGen is a set of three bespoke brushes, specifically crafted to answer the cultural needs of African youth.
EdgeBrush™
A hair-parting pick with ultra-smooth bristles to style baby hairs.
KickBrush™
A brush with soft bristles and an extra firm grip to keep kicks looking fresh.
GameBrush™
Firm, V-shaped bristles and a 30˚ angled head to take gaming gear to the next level.
The Problem
The idea was born proactively from a brief on how to get people to change their toothbrushes every two to three months.
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 – that was the brief. But we went beyond just answering it and delved a little deeper into the insights around toothbrush use. These insights mostly came from our collective experiences in the studio – how a toothbrush is never just retired; after it leaves the bathroom cabinet, it usually embarks on a whole new life with a new purpose.
We did some research both online and offline and we discovered that African youth use toothbrushes for so much more than just brushing their teeth. From hair care and styling to cleaning sneakers and gaming controllers, toothbrushes have found an unexpected place in popular culture. This sparked the opportunity for us to really present our audience with what they want in a fresh and exciting way.
Ideation
Research, research, research. [That was the first step.] We wanted to understand the market a little better but, more importantly, only start crafting the product once we were sure of what we were designing it for.
As innovators in the sector, Colgate is the expert in breakthrough oral care technology and when we looked at the brush technology from size, to bristle depth and angles we identified how this technology could be further innovated for uses outside of oral care.
We went through a couple of options for how the solution would look in the end, but the non-negotiables were that the project needed to increase brand affinity and enhance the relationship the brand had with the youth. Using that as our compass kept us true to the purpose of the project and made sure we didn’t get side-tracked.
What helped was that the target segment had already shown us what they wanted in the way they were using their toothbrushes after the regular lifecycle was up. From there, it was a process of refinement, with each challenge and stumbling block helping us to improve on the initial idea. Most of this was in the prototyping and design phase.
We looked for inspiration everywhere. It was important to us that each brush should be fully representative of the aspect of culture it was being created for, so we really put our hearts into understanding the different things that make sneaker, hair care and tech cultures tick. We looked at the environments that our audience uses the brushes in, by combing their YouTube channels and TikToks for tutorials. We were inspired by it all.
Prototype & Design
The best part was when we got to the consumer testing phase – it’s always amazing seeing how people react when they receive a product that they want, but they never knew a brand was listening. It just further inspires the team to forge ahead with renewed enthusiasm for the project.
The conversations around the design of the brushes were also exciting – using the correct packaging; what the bristles would be like… We never thought we could be that jazzed about it all!
We initially started by exploring different materials and designs internally and then reached out to a design agency, ‘Disco Creatives’, which has very strong connections to African youth culture. They brought their craftiness and research to the production and design aspect, and it was the missing piece of the puzzle.
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.
3D printing, moulding, literally cutting toothbrushes in half… we did it all. There’s always an added element of excitement that comes with creating a physical product – getting to hold the tangible result of your planning and design feels very cool!
Live
In terms of testing and iterations, this is still ongoing. The brushes we created were just the beginning and were used as promotional items. But off the back of their success, we are developing a business case and roll-out of a full retail product.
There is a lot of tech that goes into the build of the humble toothbrush we use every day. Creating these products was certainly not simple – it meant learning about a whole new field of product technology and then figuring out how it could be extrapolated into something new.
The data and feedback have been instrumental to the future phases of the project as we look to evolve this new product range from a conceptual prototype into a viable product for Colgate. It’s affirmed some of the pieces that we’d created in isolation from public feedback so that’s been fun and informative to interact with.
As previously mentioned, this was only the start – a small, prototype batch that was sent to key influencers within the target cultural groups as promotional items. But looking at how well it’s been received and the value it’s added to Colgate’s innovation team, it’s really exciting to be their most important partner on this ongoing journey.
The best part was how inspiring and affirming it’s been for the team working on it. It’s so fulfilling to see the success of the project and we ain’t even done yet!
