There are some things you simply don’t want to say to people. That they have something stuck in their teeth; that their fly is undone; and, perhaps most awkward of all, that their breath stinks.
TheraBreath and social-led creative agency Kill Boring Dead (KBD) are changing that with ‘P.S. Your Breath Stinks’, a new social campaign designed to get Australians talking about bad breath, by letting TheraBreath do the awkward bit for them.
P.S. Your Breath Stinks’, turns a difficult social truth into a playful, opt-in brand experience, allowing people to nominate a friend, colleague or loved one to receive a surprise “fresh breath assist” package from TheraBreath.
The campaign is the biggest piece of work KBD and TheraBreath have delivered together to date, bringing strategy, creative, creator content, digital, PR, fulfilment and a consumer nomination mechanic together under one integrated campaign platform.
At its heart is the simple insight that telling someone their breath stinks might be the nice thing to do, but nobody wants to be the person who actually says it. So, TheraBreath have taken on the responsibility.
Rosie Brown, head of strategy, Kill Boring Dead, said the campaign was built around a tension that is universally understood.
“We’re really, really proud of this campaign. The whole idea is built off the human truth that it’s so awkward to tell someone their breath stinks. Even though it’s the nice, the right, and the best thing to do, no one wants to do it because we don’t want to upset someone. So, we thought we’d just ask TheraBreath to do it for us,” said Brown.
P.S. Your Breath Stinks’, is built around a surprise-led microsite and SMS journey, supported by creator content, PR giveaway packages, social engagement and an activation at Melbourne Central.
Consumers can nominate someone at www.psyourbreathstinks.com, with 500 PR giveaway boxes being sent out to deliver the message in person. For those who miss out on a box, TheraBreath has also created formal letters and sample packs to ensure the message can still get through.
The campaign kicked off with a bad-breath prank featuring TikTok duo Kaitlin & Josh, before extending into influencer seeding, TikTok and Instagram content, organic brand and community engagement and two giveaways including a year’s supply of garlic bread and a year’s supply of Segafredo coffee.
@kaitlinandjoshI thought it was time to see if Josh still hated Tuna……….can confirm he still does 😂😂😂😭😭😭Ad♬ original sound – Kaitlin and Josh
For KBD, the campaign represents a deliberate move away from traditional social content pillars towards a single creative idea that can create momentum across multiple channels and touchpoints.
Ainslee Baruhas head of client partnerships, Kill Boring Dead, said the campaign demonstrated the value of giving creators a strong idea rather than simply asking them to deliver branded content.
“This is exactly the kind of work that makes me love my job. It starts with a single, sharp insight, which you hand to creators who know how to bring it to life, but you need a brand bold enough to let that happen,” said Baruhas.
“That’s what made the TheraBreath campaign so much fun to build. We kicked things off with a ‘bad breath’ prank fronted by Kaitlin & Josh, one of the platform’s most-loved duos, and it landed even better than we’d hoped. There’s no product shot, no brand mention, nothing that screams ‘buy this product.’ Just a funny bit that feels completely native to who Kaitlin & Josh are, while still nailing the exact idea at the heart of the campaign. That’s the difference between renting an audience for a post and understanding how to use a platform. And the best thing about this campaign is TheraBreath’s team are as excited about it as we are.”
Rather than positioning TheraBreath as a clinical solution to a clinical problem, “P.S. Your Breath Stinks” puts the brand into a recognisable social situation and gives consumers a reason to participate.
“The opportunity for us was to take something people generally avoid talking about and make it impossible to ignore. Bad breath is a very real, very human problem, but conversations around it can be awkward. ‘P.S. Your Breath Stinks’ gives people a fun way to start that conversation, while putting TheraBreath in the middle of a genuinely useful and memorable experience,” added Alison Tyssen-Hall, senior brand manager of Oral Health, Church & Dwight.
Launching early August, the campaign targets Australian adults aged 18+, with a particular focus on socially active Gen Z and millennial consumers who engage with humour-led content, TikTok and Instagram culture, creator campaigns and peer-to-peer sharing.
Credits:
Church & Dwight
Alison Tyssen-Hall — Senior Brand Manager, Oral Care
Azmara Mannan-Perera — Brand Manager, Oral care
Paul Makomaski — Head of Digital
Jeanne Bourgeois — Marketing Strategist
Nicky Dolman — Marketing Director
Kill Boring Dead
Marcus Willis — Director & Co-Founder
Jackson Springer — Head of Brand & Co-Founder
Rosie Brown — Head of Strategy
Ainslee Baruhas — Head of Client Partnerships & Influencer Lead
Gwendolyn Tan — Head of Community
Caitlin Adams — Account Director
Sam Arevalo — Strategist
Ant Dinham — Senior Campaign Producer
Ollie Sievers — Content Producer
Shinji Kaneko — Senior Designer & Web Developer
Gelo Lasin — Social Media Executive
Pio Moralde — Community Manager
Nisa Fitri — Video Editor
Ian Rabang — Graphic Designer
Agency Partners
Incubeta – Media
Riser – Seeding Partner
