Title	FEEL EVERY SMILE
Brand	LISTERINE
Product/Service	LISTERINE ADVANCED WHITE
Category	A09. Original Branded Digital or Social media
Entrant Company	J. WALTER THOMPSON London, UNITED KINGDOM
Contributing Company	J. WALTER THOMPSON London, UNITED KINGDOM
Media Agency	PRIMUS London, UNITED KINGDOM
Production Company	PULSE FILMS London, UNITED KINGDOM

Name	Company	Position
Russell Ramsey	J. Walter Thompson	Executive Creative Director
John Cherry	J. Walter Thompson	Creative Director
Will Helm	J. Walter Thompson	Creative
Will Brookwell	J. Walter Thompson	Creative
Spru Rowland	J. Walter Thompson	TV Producer
Thomas Scovell	J. Walter Thompson	Planner
Rafael Freitas	J. Walter Thompson	Global Board Account Director
Lizzie Alleyne	J. Walter Thompson	Account Director
Julian Poole	J. Walter Thompson	Project Manager
Joseph Bassary	J. Walter Thompson	Project Manager

The Campaign

The Challenge – to think laterally about how Listerine could promote the new ‘Advanced White’ product in a category dominated by speed claims which the brand could not compete on. The Objective – in a category awash with functional messages the objective was simply to own the emotional ground. We wanted to show we truly understood our potential consumers’ needs better than competing brands and give ourselves space between this and the others’ functional claims. The Strategy – was to look beyond the superficial. Whitening products are about an (attractive) white smile. But what does a smile really mean, what can it do for you and the people who receive it? We researched beyond the gleam and discovered just how powerful a smile can be. The science to support the power of a smile was undeniable and we needed a way to demonstrate this. We asked ‘can a smile affect people who can’t see them?’ We created a tool (a phone app) and filmed how it enabled blind people to actually feel someone’s smile The Execution – the campaign kicked off with TV across EMEA, focused on the power and importance of a smile, within the context of teeth whitening. This was supported with digital banners and website content providing ‘smile facts’ – facts explaining the distance your smile can been seen from and the impact it can have on others. Once the messaging platform was established the ‘Feel Every Smile’ film was launched on YouTube and the app was simultaneously available for iPhones and Android. This was closely followed by Facebook posts, supported with PR with backing from the RNIB and finally collaboration with influencers

KPIs were smashed: video view targets were over-reached by 150% seizing over 3.4 million views on YouTube and Facebook to date. Video sharing and app downloads (4.6k and rising) have achieved spread beyond the bullseye of Europe reaching as far as Brazil – with combined shares and likes over 10.5k Media coverage spanned consumer and trade press with the often cynical trade media being very pleasantly surprised by the genuine value provided through this initiative: “Brand apps usually aren’t worth a download, but Listerine’s Smile Detector actually has a heartwarming purpose.” Video bloggers and traditional bloggers amplified the messages but the most satisfying and up-lifting outcomes have been the quality of the responses from the public, especially from those within the blind community or related. “It was the best feeling ever seeing my blind 7 year old smiling when he realised that his brother with Asperger’s which doesn’t show emotion in his voice was smiling at him, it was amazing and very emotional.”

The ‘Feel Every Smile’ film and the Listerine Smile Detector phone app are part of a wider, more traditional advertising campaign, but differing from the other elements in that, although the brand is mentioned the product takes the back seat. Instead the combined focus for the film and the app is on the emotional story of how the app helps blind people ‘feel’ the exact moment when somebody is smiling at them. The film is a heart-warming reminder of the importance of everyday non-verbal human communication (smiles) and one that a large proportion of humanity (sighted people) takes for granted. The Listerine Smile Detector app contains facial recognition technology that can detect when a human face smiles and in turn makes the phone vibrate to signal the smile. Although created with the blind community specifically in mind it is available for everybody to download and use.