Forget those run-of-the-mill dental ads featuring lab coats, dentist chairs, and pearly-white-clad dentists. Sure, they serve a purpose, but we’ve seen them all before, and the simple formula rarely results in anything memorable.
The best dental ads I’ve come across are creative and unique in their approach, appealing to our sense of humor, our sensitive side, or even our stomachs.
Whether you work for a dental practice, a dental clinic, or an oral hygiene brand, brace yourself…these examples of dental advertising are sure to inspire your marketing strategy! Let’s see what you can learn from their wisdom (teeth).
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1. Invisalign – Invis is Drama Free
Featuring TikTok star Jayden Bartels, this ad from dental makeover company Invisalign appeals to the insecurities of teenagers everywhere. Through the power of song, pizza, and the tagline “Invis is Drama Free”, the relatable and memorable commercial promotes Invisialign as a more discreet and convenient alternative to traditional braces – particularly for teenagers who may be self-conscious about their appearance.
It’s relatable. It’s catchy. And it gets my vote as the best dental ad out there.
2. Philips Sonicare – Healthy Mouth Feeling – Beatboxer
Number one for sheer entertainment, this alternative dental ad from Philips Sonicare features an upbeat performance from beatboxing legend Tom Thum. It appeals to a certain audience in a way that your generic dentist-chair ads don’t – but there are still a couple of facts thrown in at the end for good measure!
3. Grand Street Dental – Twisted Fork
Source: zocdoc.com
This Instagram ad from Brooklyn-based Grand Street Dental is a brilliant example of how social media marketing can be used to promote a dental practice. It’s the simplicity of this ad that makes it so effective – with a twisted fork representing crooked teeth. And just like that, this dental clinic is front of mind for those wanting Invisalign – existing patients and potential patients alike!
4. Waterpik – Share the Obsession
This high-energy dental floss ad from Waterpik creates a sense of excitement around the product in a hilarious way, cleverly making the viewer think that they must be missing out on something by not yet being part of the hype.
And while humor is the main theme here, it still manages to put across important information that helps you understand exactly what the product does.
Is it just me, or do you really, really want a Waterpik now?
5. Colgate – #EveryDropCounts
This dental advertising example from Colgate hits a nerve. How? It starts by highlighting the importance of saving water by demonstrating how much water is typically wasted when you leave the tap running while brushing your teeth (up to four gallons, FYI).
It then powerfully informs viewers that the amount of water wasted in just one tooth-brushing session is more than many people around the world have in a week. There’s your suckerpunch.
The audience is left with a clear call to action, urging them to save water and make a difference.
It’s educational. It’s emotive. It’s a thumbs up from me.
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6. Sensodyne –Life’s Too Short For Sensitive Teeth
This ad from Sensodyne appeals to the hearts, minds, and stomachs of all sensitive teeth sufferers. Showcasing an array of food that reminds us of the best time of year (I won’t hear otherwise), and reassuring us that we can enjoy all those things with the help of Sensodyne.
You had me at “ice cream”.
7. Colgate – Intergalactic Mouth, Mighty Mouth
Source: adsoftheworld.com
Another appearance from Colgate, but this time with a set of two eye-catching print ads – I’ll bet you’ve spent a good few minutes checking them out already! Set in a futuristic sci-fi setting, the ads portray a group of explorers (one space-related, one military-related) encountering a creature with an enormous mouth and set of teeth. And a huge team is on hand to help clean them.
These dental ads do a brilliant job of communicating just how mighty Colegate’s toothpaste is, using humor and creativity to make the audience remember their product.
8. Crest – Questionable Filters
Source: adsoftheworld.com
In the height of the pandemic, Crest delivered this timely ad that honed in on the new way of working (and socializing). It poked fun at the weird and wonderful, “Questionable Filters” that were being used on Zoom and Teams calls, but positioned itself as the solution to “Unquestionable Smiles”.
9. Aquafresh – Original 1980s Advert
They don’t make them like they used to, that’s for sure! This oldie but goodie is a classic that many of us remember from years gone by (myself included, and I’m a nineties baby!). The catchy jingle, the nostalgic animation, the happy family – it’s as appealing today as it was in the eighties.
10. Tom’s of Maine – #WhyISwitched
This dental ad promotes Tom’s of Maine’s all-natural toothpaste through the stories of three real women. The personal stories are relatable and all focus on healthy living, with camera shots of families, yoga, and farmers markets – it doesn’t get much more wholesome than that! All in all it positions Tom’s of Maine as synonymous with an active and healthy lifestyle.
11. Listerine – Cabin Commercial
This Listerine commercial will go down in history as one of the best dental ads of all time. It’s silly, it’s dramatic, it’s over the top. But it gets the point across, it makes Listerine seem ridiculously powerful, and to this day it cements Listerine in my mind as the leading brand for mouthwash.
12. Crest – Cupcake, Ice Cream, Water, Coffee
Source: adsoftheworld.com
Crest’s set of four print ads appeal to those with sensitive teeth, by creatively outing four of the main culprits of sensitivity: cupcakes (or sugar), coffee (or hot temperatures), ice cream (or cold temperatures), and water (namely iced).
The visually appealing ads strike a chord with those who suffer from sensitivity, and place Crest front of mind for toothpaste.
13. Neesh Dental – Lord of the Teeth
Source: neeshdental.com
An alternative take on the before-and-after ad, this is an example of how dental practices can use humor to appeal to prospective patients. By making light of what is actually a pretty serious situation, the online ad provides an element of reassurance to those suffering with tooth decay, and makes the dental services at this dental practice look particularly appealing. The simple yet effective meme can be used as a print ad, for social media marketing, or even for direct mail.
Three things the best dental advertising has in common
- It shows life before and after using the product
- It makes you laugh or smile (flashing those soon-to-be pearly whites)
- It doesn’t feature boring survey statistics
The best channels and formats for dental marketing
If you’re promoting a global consumer brand like Colgate or Listerine, you’re best off with big awareness channels like TV, print, and social media. With budget on your side, the sky’s the limit. You could involve celebrities, buy the license to a hit song, and explore animation. Get creative, and have fun with it!
If you’re promoting a local dental practice, you may want to consider more localized formats like direct mail and local SEO. That way, you’ll appeal to a more targeted audience who won’t have to travel across the country to attend your clinic.
Social media is another channel to focus on, either using humor (like Grand Street Dental and Neesh Dental), or showcasing before-and-after images to let the results speak for themselves. And, of course, always make sure your customers leave you a good review to leverage word of mouth.
How to collect client feedback faster on dental ads
Creating a new dental ad together with your client can be equally exciting and exhausting at the same time. On one hand, exchanging creative energy can lead to fantastic results. But on the other hand, chasing everyone for feedback can negatively impact your collaboration.
With a client feedback tool like Filestage, you can have your review process basically run itself, waving goodbye to sleepless nights of waiting for someone’s feedback.
Filestage allows teams to share, discuss, and approve all their files, all in one place – including documents, images, videos, websites, and audio files. Plus, all reviewers will get notified whenever there’s a due date approaching, making sure you collect all your approvals in time.
