Colgate’s Portable Wisp Targets Young, On-the-Go Consumers

The new Colgate Wisp, a 3.5 inch, disposable toothbrush (no water required), has risen to become one of the most notable and relevant new products since its early spring 2009 launch.  The brush’s miniature bristles surround a minty-fresh gel bead while its handle features a “soft pick” for reaching tight spots between teeth.  The product is available in peppermint, cinnamon and spearmint flavors. 

 Colgate is marketing the Wisp particularly to young people, as shown by a recently premiered television commercial that appeared even earlier on its website.  During the ad, a twenty-something man and woman dance together in a nightclub until the girl flies off to freshen her breath with a Colgate Wisp.  The commercial ends as “Don’t Get Caught Without It” flashes across the screen while the couple flirts with the camera.

 The question is: will consumers adopt it as a mainstay, or let it slip away after a May-December romance?

 On Friday, the female-oriented online magazine, Missbehave, hailed the Wisp as the “one use toothbrushes that should become a staple in every girl’s handbag.”

While there’s been much less buzz about the Wisp among men online, the male-oriented product-reviewing blog, [Your daily vitamin of] Everything That's Vital...For NY & LApromises that men will “LOVE”  he Wisp if they are “obsessive about [their] teeth.”  The blogger suggests that it “can fit inside a small jacket or pants pocket.”

The launch is supported by promotional and distribution effortsto build buzz and product trial. The Colgate Wisp microsite hosts a New Face of Wisp contest, which encourages consumers to submit their photos and vote for the winner in early May.  A 16-pack of Wisps sells for around $8-$9.  Drugstores like CVS and superstores of accessibility like Wal-Mart carry the surprisingly inexpensive but effective Colgate Wisp.

So, does it have enough power to fix a problem important enough to warrant carrying this disposable toothbrush around?  When it comes down to it, that will prove the deciding factor for the product’s ultimate success.