During the holidays, most people like being über-fabulous and camera ready. Hair done? Of course. Nails done? You bet. Everything‘s done … but what about your smile? This holiday season. Colgate Total is reminding everyone that “your smile is your best accessory.”
Colgate Total, Vibe magazine, and UniWorld, Inc. invited some of the internet’s hottest urban bloggers to New York’s Soho Gallery for Digital Art for the “Seeing is Believing, Your Smile is Your Best Accessory” holiday blogger event. Guests were treated to smooth Christmas carols from the all-female jazz ensemble SAGE, delicious hors d’oeuvres catered by Madeline’s, minty “Colgate-tinis” and pictures with Santa.
While the atmosphere was light and festive, Colgate had an important message for the bloggers. Attendees were ushered through the Colgate Total “Hall of Germs” where photos displayed many of the surprising places germs lurk — pens, cell phones and ATM keypads. Tyrha Lindsey, UniWorld Group’s director of public relations reminded the Hall’s visitors, “People know germs are bad and all around us, but at the end of the day, people don’t think at all about germs in their mouth.”
According to Matilda Ivey, UniWorld Group account director, it only made sense to bring such an event to Vibe magazine readers and urban bloggers, who are able to share messages with a growing and at-risk African American audience.
“What we are finding out is within the African American community, African Americans visit the dentist less because they are either uninsured or underinsured, so it’s even more important for our audience to know the importance of keeping a healthy mouth,” she explained, later adding, “We partnered with Vibe magazine for two reasons: we wanted to connect with women bloggers and we know that people always talk about teeth as a cosmetic issue (how they look). We wanted to bring attention to the fact that your teeth can look cute, but you can still have dental issues. Partnering with Vibe allowed us to give the event a more stylish feel than your typical health and wellness event. ”
Guests left the with a swag bag filled with Vibe, a CVS flu shot gift card, Ultra Sheen hair products and tons of Colgate Total products to fight the germs and get those teeth ready for those flashing lights. –nicole barrett
*Photos by Regina Fleming Photography
