Colgate Spot Reminds Everybody to be the Reason Someone Smiles

Colgate announced today the launch of their latest spot called ‘Be the Reason.’ This is part of Colgate’s continuous campaign championing optimism through the power of a smile and changing our world for the better. Red Fuse Communications, the cross-agency WPP team servicing the Colgate-Palmolive business globally, is behind the campaign in partnership with VMLY&R. 

Colgate, the most widely penetrated brand in the world, wants to inspire people to understand the power of their smile.  An action so small, yet powerful, that can positively impact someone’s day or change our world for the better. The ads celebrate individuals who have the courage and resilience to share their smile with others despite challenges they may be facing in their lives. 

The films give colourful, almost documentary-style portraits celebrating real people unified by their shared experiences of helping others. The campaign spotlights people ranging from a nurse, working with, and easing patients who are experiencing health challenges; a local community basketball coach working with inner city youths; a teenager, paralysed from the waist down; and a community activist working alongside other transgender individuals and parents of young LGBTQ+ individuals. Colgate wants these individuals to be an inspiration for others to see what the power of their smile can do.

The campaign was shot by director Rodney Lucas, a self-described cinematic house style director focused on collaborative Black storytelling. His work is celebrated for his uncanny ability to capture communities with a high level of sensitivity, care, artistic expression, and emotional depth. “Working with Colgate was one of the greatest honours of my career. This spot, and our collaboration—allowed me to be of service in ways far beyond cinema,” said Rodney. “The captivating resilience of our subjects; in unison with the moral compass of our collective teams—all highlighted the true blessings of cinematically capturing real moments of love and empowerment.”

“At Colgate, we believe that our smiles are powerful-- they give us strength and can lift others up,” said Mindel Klein, General Manager, IMC, North America at Colgate-Palmolive. “These simple stories of real, everyday people are inspiring examples to all of us that we all have the ability within us to positively impact our world.”

The authenticity of the clips comes from the people featured. Their stories are real, they have unique smiles and charismatic personalities. This campaign shines a spotlight on those who are inspired to use their smile every day despite our differences,” said Fred Saldanha, global chief creative officer for Colgate-Palmolive. “It is a celebration to those whose acts of optimism break down the barriers that push people apart.”

The work goes live on Monday, July 12th and features short-form content across television (linear and connected) and digital channels. The long-form anchor story is available on Colgate's owned channels.