1. Mr. Briantais, can you explain the inspiration behind the #FreeYourSmile campaign and why Colgate felt the need to address the issue of Smile Shaming?
We recognized that Smile Shame was becoming a real and concerning issue in a world where standards of beauty are heavily influenced by entertainment, pop culture, and social media, making these standards extremely unrealistic. In response, we commissioned this APAC-wide survey, independently conducted by research company Pureprofile, to better understand the impact of Smile Shame in societies across the region.
The Colgate Smile Study 2023 confirmed that many people feel that their teeth have to be arranged in a very specific way in order to have a beautiful smile – which is absolutely untrue. This misconception is shared by 94 percent of people in Asia-Pacific who desire the freedom to smile without reservations. Furthermore, we hope that people realise how much power there is behind a genuine smile, which has been shown to promote better mental and physical health. At Colgate, we believe that . each smile is unique and beautiful in its own right, and the launch of our #FreeYourSmile campaign on World Smile Day® is just the start of this movement to combat Smile Shame and celebrate all smiles.
2. The Colgate Smile Study 2023 revealed some significant insights about Smile Shame in the Asia-Pacific region. Were there any findings that particularly surprised or alarmed you?
The findings from the Colgate Smile Study 2023 were indeed eye-opening and it was particularly alarming to discover that three out of every five individuals in the Asia-Pacific region could identify with the concept of Smile Shame, and two out of five people have personally experienced it. This highlights that Smile Shame, while not a familiar term, is a very real and widespread concern that deserves attention. These statistics have reinforced our commitment to address this issue, and that is the reason why we have launched the #FreeYourSmile campaign. Through the campaign, we hope to combat Smile Shame, celebrate the beauty of all smiles and ensure that no one feels ashamed of their unique smiles.
3. Colgate’s decision to adapt its iconic logo for World Smile Day is a bold move. How do you believe this change will resonate with the brand’s loyal customers and the general public?
Adapting our logo is an extension of our commitment to tackle Smile Shame, a real issue faced by many in Asia-Pacific. According to the Colgate Smile Study 2023, nearly half of the population in the region believes that brands should take an active role in addressing the problem of Smile Shame. By adapting our logo to include and celebrate the diversity of smiles, we aim to inspire people to express themselves freely and proudly. . This adaptation is a symbol of our dedication to promoting inclusivity and redefining what it means to have a beautiful smile. .
4. Can you tell us more about the Smile Generator AI tool? How does it work, and what do you hope users will take away from their experience with it?
In conjunction with World Smile Day 2023, we partnered with our integrated agency, WPP @ CP, to build the Smile Generator. The Generator is trained on a database of 15,000 images and scans a smile, either live or as an image upload, then recreates an identical representation of the user’s smile into the shape of the Colgate logo in a few seconds. We then encouraged folks to share their personal Colgate smile logo with their friends, colleagues, and community, whether on platforms like Instagram and TikTok or privately over chat apps, we hope to generate conversations and give momentum to the Smile Shame movement. To date, over 1,100 smiles have been generated.
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We believe that having something as completely unique to yourself as your smile adapted onto a globally recognizable logo can embolden individuals to be proud of their own gorgeous smile.
5. Why did Colgate choose platforms like TikTok and Instagram for users to share their personalized smiles? How do you envision this social media engagement amplifying the campaign’s message?
Choosing platforms like TikTok and Instagram for users to share their personalized smiles was a strategic decision to ensure that our campaign message connected with people in the places where some of these beauty and lifestyle standards are discussed most passionately. The Smile Generator, a key component of our #FreeYourSmile campaign, empowers users to confidently own their unique smiles with our logo as a canvas. We believe that the most persuasive voices on social media are people, not brands, so this engagement helps to amplify our message organically. We always aim to reach as many people as possible. In this case, we wanted to inspire folks to join our mission of redefining Smile standards and combat Smile Shame.
6. How did Colgate decide on collaborating with influencers like Ethan Kuan and Xixi Lim? What unique perspectives do they bring to the campaign, given their personal experiences with Smile Shame?
The influencers we chose to engage across various markets in Asia Pacific have personally experienced Smile Shame. We believe that with first-hand experience of how it feels to be insecure about their smile, our handpicked influencers are well-placed to champion our cause of combating Smile Shame by creating content to spark and drive conversations around the topic as we encourage people to #FreeYourSmile.
7. Beyond World Smile Day, how does Colgate plan to continue promoting the message of the #FreeYourSmile campaign and combating Smile Shame in the long term?
#FreeYourSmile marks our initial step in addressing Smile Shame, and we are committed to a sustained effort to combat this issue in the long term. We will certainly continue sharing the good word about being secure and confident just the way you are, rather than feeling pressured to conform to what culture and society determines a perfect smile should look like. We are keen to keep up our efforts in driving conversations around Smile Shame, and look forward to sharing more with you in due course.
8. On a personal note, Mr. Briantais, how has being a part of this campaign impacted your own perceptions of smiles and the importance of self-expression?
Being a part of the #FreeYourSmile campaign has been a truly meaningful experience. It has reinforced the belief that every smile is unique and beautiful in its own way.
