Mentadent Aims To Brighten Tooth Whitening Segment With Fall Launch
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Unilever is bringing its first tooth whitening entry to the growing specialty category with the launch of Mentadent Tooth Whitening System, a regimen that claims to whiten teeth up to four shades after two weeks of daily use
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Unilever is bringing its first tooth whitening entry to the growing specialty category with the launch of Mentadent Tooth Whitening System, a regimen that claims to whiten teeth up to four shades after two weeks of daily use. Consumers who use the system should see a "noticeable" difference in tooth color after seven days of use, the firm claims. Debuting in mass market doors in September, Mentadent Tooth Whitening System comes with a whitening agent, an oral rinse, dosing paddle, two mouthtrays and an instruction guide. Mentadent's three-step system recommends brushing, flossing and rinsing with an oral rinse prior to use. The Mentadent whitening agent then is placed into mouthtrays, which are worn for 10-15 minutes. After the trays are removed, teeth should be brushed again to remove any whitening residue. Mentadent's patented dual-chamber delivery system keeps the active peroxide ingredients separate until used. The system is formulated with a "low level" of peroxide so it is safer on enamel and does not cause tooth sensitivity, Unilever claims. Estimated to generate first-year sales of $20 mil., the system aims to attract 30%-50% of oral care consumers to the category, a significant increase over the 2% who currently use whiteners, the firm said. Unilever is entering a segment dominated by Procter & Gamble's Crest Whitestrips , which holds a 69.7% share of the tooth whitening market in mass retailers (excluding Wal-Mart), according to Information Resources, Inc. Colgate-Palmolive recently announced plans to enter the category with the September launch of Colgate Simply White , a lower-priced alternative to Whitestrips (1 (Also see "Colgate Tackles Whitening Treatment Market With Lower-Priced Alternative" - Pink Sheet, 13 May, 2002.), p. 9). While priced somewhat higher than Simply White, the Mentadent offering will still retail well below Whitestrips. The Mentadent system will cost $18.99-$22.99, compared to approximately $14.99 for Simply White and nearly $40 for the P&G system. Unilever will promote the launch with FSIs. A new marketing campaign recently broke to support the March debut of Mentadent Advanced Whitening, Advanced Care and Advanced Cleaning toothpastes. The effort includes print ads and an educational tour entitled "Great Minds Brush Alike." |