Diana Vickers fronts Wrigley’s oral health campaign

Wrigley has launched its annual oral health campaign, encouraging consumers to ‘Eat, drink, chew Extra’ for clean and healthy teeth.

This year’s activity, which coincides with National Smile Month (19 May – 19 June), is fronted by British singer-songwriter Diana Vickers.

Wrigley aims to educate consumers on how chewing gum after eating and drinking can help remove stains, maintain teeth’s natural whiteness and keep them clean and healthy. Accredited by the British Dental Health Foundation, the Extra White Bubblemint 46 Pellet Bottle will play a prominent role in the campaign. Extra White Bubblemint and Extra White are currently worth £37m and are growing at a substantial 82% year-on-year.

The National Smile Month PR campaign will kick off with Diana Vickers announcing the top 20 famous smiles as voted for by the UK public.

In addition, Wrigley reps will also be handing out ‘Smiles on Sticks’ giving retailers the chance to win £50 worth of stock by uploading a ‘Smile Selfie’ to Wrigley’s Twitter page @WrigleyTradeUK and using the #NSM14 hashtag.

Another element of the activity will see Wrigley work with Dr Peter Collett to identify smile typologies, looking into what each smile means and revealing how the nation reacts to each type. Dr Peter Collet said: “A little smile can go a long, long way. Research shows that retailers who greet their customers with a friendly smile can expect to see an increase in their sales. It sounds obvious, but building rapport in this way often makes customers feel more comfortable, which encourages them to increase time spent in stores and ultimately leads to greater profits.”

Sue Cobbledick, oral care marketing manager at Wrigley, added: “The aim of National Smile Month is to improve the UK’s oral health. Chewing gum as part of your daily oral care routine is a great way to maintain clean, healthy teeth and achieve that all important smile. Smiles are incredibly powerful and truly reflect a person’s feelings. They are also one of the first things people notice about someone.”