The idiomatic expression states “the quickest way to a man’s heart, is through their stomach.” Sensodyne took the same approach to fast-track the brand’s appeal among non-acting Australian sensitivity sufferers… through food.

Australia is a proud foodie nation; 43% of the population are even considered food snobs. This deep-seated passion for eating and drinking was therefore the perfect vehicle to not only reach the 10.7M Australians experiencing tooth sensitivity but drive them to act. As of those suffers, 50% would rather put up with the pain, than do something about it. The misperception that therapeutic pastes aren’t as effective at mouthcare as regular toothpaste was too big of a barrier to drive these suffering, but unbothered consumers to switch.

Our task was to drive penetration of Sensodyne toothpaste by broadening its appeal and grow sales by 4% during the campaign period.

We had to connect with consumers who had zero interest in treating their sensitivity. Complacent with their current situation, they needed a jolt to disrupt their avoidance behaviour.

What got their attention? What brands did they engage with, which media had the power to influence them, to which experiences did they lean in?

There was an affinity for all-things food related. They over-indexed on dining out, followed expansive foodie talent on social, and were avid viewers of cooking shows. They prided themselves on being in-the-know for new food trends.

A clear tension emerged. Even worse than FOMO is FoodMo, missing out on amazing food. These gastronomes may look the part, but how could they enjoy these experiences fully if they were battling tooth discomfort. What if at these exact moments Sensodyne interjected with a solution which would enable them to enjoy a twinge-free gourmet experience?

We had our way in; now we just needed our trojan horse. Enter pastry chef Reynold Poernomo. The perfect Sensodyne influencer, Chef had the Australian audience obsessed from his time on MasterChef and his famous KOI Dessert Bar. It also happened that Reynold had battled tooth-sensitivity his whole life and his long-time use of Sensodyne helped him to do what he loved… own a restaurant famous for its innovative, brag-worthy desserts. What could be more “off limits” to sensitivity sufferers than the jaw dropping, icy cold creations of KOI?

Our approach was to create an unmissable, multi-sensorial experience to highlight how living with tooth sensitivity was holding consumers back from a true culinary experience. With Reynold Poernomo at the centre, we built a full-funnel media plan, connecting with Less Bothereds at a national scale through digital, and through more intimate engagements through dining experiences, in-store activations, and virtual masterclasses.

The four-week partnership between Poernomo, KOI Dessert Bar and Sensodyne was anchored in the “Unmissable Moments”. It spanned social video, eDM, experiential and in-store (KOI and a major supermarket).

Chef Poernomo created two, Sensodyne-branded, limited hot and cold KOI desserts normally “off-limits” for sensitivity sufferers. These twinge-triggering sweets were sold in KOI stores and online.

To extend national reach, Poernomo spoke about his tooth sensitivity in four short-form videos. Over 25 pieces of tailored social content from videos to static images and reels, from the chef’s and KOI’s channels, worked together to generate buzz, and branded eDMs and a dedicated microsite on KOI’s restaurant page captured interest.

Competitions delivered the unforgettable our audience craved, with money-can’t-buy prizes (a virtual masterclass with MasterChef royalty, branded ingredient kits sent to all winners ahead of the events and for 24 winners, Poernomo hosted a private Omakase-style dining experience in the brand-new KOI flagship.

Social video content achieved a combined reach of 1.3m, and an average engagement rate of 7.9%.

Sold over 850 desserts, with one ranking in KOI’s top 3 limited-edition items.

Over 4,275 entries to our private dining with Reynold competition – the most-entered KOI competition ever.

Social content achieved 100% positive sentiment, as consumers drooled over the dessert creations.

One competition social post achieved 33% engagement rate!

We secured significant added value through a national Woolworth’s point of sale feature. The placement included a take-home recipe from Reynold and is estimated to provide 20 million additional impressions.

We were tasked with reaching 7m Australians with our campaign content. Over four weeks we reached over 9.5M Australians, exceeding our reach goal by 36%.

9% increase in sales during the campaign period, a 125% improvement on our 4% goal. Now that’s a sweet result.