Mumbai: As part of its mission to champion India’s oral health journey, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd, has announced the launch of its transformative “Oral Health Movement”. This unique AI-enabled initiative aims to encourage Indians to prioritize their oral health, while leveraging technology to bridge the gap between the awareness and accessibility of Oral Healthcare in India.

Today, 90 per cent of Indians suffer from oral health issues and yet, 80 per cent of urban Indians don't brush twice daily and a mere nine per cent visit a dentist in a year. A comprehensive pan-India study conducted by Colgate and Kantar in 2023 underscores why prioritizing Oral Health is the need of the hour.

This nationwide and multi-touchpoint campaign is centered around an AI enabled Dental Screening tool, which has been developed in partnership with Logy.AI, will encourage people to take charge of their oral health. With Just a few questions and three pictures of their mouth, users can get a free dental screening report instantly. Post this, users will get an option to schedule a free dentist consultation in their preferred location. To support this, Colgate has tied up with the Indian Dental Association (IDA) to leverage their 50,000 strong pan India dentist network.

The campaign showcases everyday Indians engaging in sophisticated conversation about dental health, demonstrating how Colgate's “Oral Health Movement” and its instant AI-generated dental screening reports have empowered them with more knowledge about their own oral health. This approach highlights the accessibility and effectiveness of the initiative in making oral health information available to everyone.

Speaking on the Movement, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd executive vice president, marketing Gunjit Jain said “While 90 per cent of Indians have an oral health issue, only nine per cent visit a dentist. Most people are not aware of the issue and realize it only when it deteriorates into a painful problem. At Colgate, we believe that it’s our responsibility to help elevate India’s oral health awareness and access. With the Oral Health Movement, we’re unlocking this by placing a free, whatsapp-based, AI-enabled, dental screening tool in the hands of millions of Indians. People can now take charge of their oral health by getting more knowledgeable and proactive. Our new campaign uses engaging content across an omni-channel and performance-driven media stack to encourage people to adopt this tool.”

The campaign goes live across television and digital platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube starting 15 Nov. In addition to the awareness leg, this campaign will also have a large-scale performance marketing mix leveraging tools like Google Performance Max, META CAPI, etc. along with partner tie-ups. There will also be on-ground activations in retail stores, housing societies, bus stations, corporate offices among other touchpoints nationwide along with influencer partnerships to maximize screenings. Through the Oral Health Movement, Colgate aims to reach over three million Indians, contributing to its mission of improving Oral Health awareness and practices across the country.

Speaking on the campaign, Ogilvy executive creative director Juneston Mathana said, “One truly becomes an expert at something when one has expert knowledge of it. Colgate’s free AI-enabled dental screening aims to democratize expert dental knowledge. Rightfully so, our films feature people flaunting that expertise while ironically failing to perform simple day-to-day tasks. The contrast in their vocabulary is something Hemant Bhandari, our director, has captured in the most engaging way.”

The first campaign film depicts a family scene where a father and his daughter casually discuss complex dental terms, showcasing their newfound expertise. The second film is set in an office, where two colleagues compliment each other's dental features using expert terminology. Both scenarios aptly contrast the characters’ dental knowledge with their everyday struggles like hair-braiding and rangoli-making.

Both films conclude with Colgate encouraging viewers to participate in the movement. It prompts the audiences to scan the QR code across , upload images of their mouth and get a quick AI-enabled dental screening report on whatsapp.