Teeth Whitening Products and Advertising are a Craze in India

chillibreeze writer — Namita Suresh

You know an ad has made an impact when children can identify with it. You can’t get more grassroot level than that. And just that happened about 10 months ago when my then 3 year old nephew pointed out a shop display and said to his dad – “Daddy please get me – its working!” Yes, the obvious reference being to Orbit White! The fact that the kid watches too much television is another issue to mull over, or should I say- chew over!

My first recollection of the obsession with white was – Nirma, doodh si saphedi. Somewhere between the 80s and now, the obsession shifted from banians to teeth. Ruby being told quite chastely by 4-year-olds that her teeth were yellow or off-white, was enough to get the nation obsessing over the color of teeth. From scary looking red swabs that came in your toothpaste to scarier mirrors in magazines juxtaposed in a background of pure white, India is officially hitch hiking on the globally acknowledged billion dollar band wagon of whiter teeth.

But to say that the obsession is restricted to the urban Indian would not be an exaggeration. The 90,000 TPA Oral care market (Rs. 1900 Crore oral category) has a penetration of only 49% in India, with the key players being HLL and Colgate. There is obviously potential in rural areas waiting to be tapped. With advertising budgets increasing and the big players going rural with big plans, ‘Jagruti’ from the Colgate camp1 and HLL are adamant about escalating their rural market share, which currently contributes to 40% of the overall turnover, 2 there sure are going to be more gallivanting cows espousing the virtues of white teeth!

So when did the paan chewing sayya from Banaras ala Wahida Rehman trilling in Teesri Kasam, really start caring about his orthodontic appearance? Blame it on the radiant smiles of Madhuri, Aishwarya, Sachin, and the endless array of models and film stars who know better than anyone that a gleaming pearly set is enough to impress even the most myopic viewer. Sometimes, the results of a simple tooth clean up costing between Rs. 300 and Rs. 1500 is cheaper and has more dramatic results than even a bank balance breaker of a face lift.

From retailers wooing customers to buy that Rs.999 toothbrush, to innovations in the toothpaste industry and gum chewing being eschewed as the national sport second only to cricket, India has come full circle. Historically, our practice of oral hygiene is quite advanced, preceding the brush-twice-a-day line with a much older adage, “After cleaning the teeth and having looked into the mirror and having eaten a tambula to render fragrance to the mouth, should a person start his day’s work” – a stanza from the Kamasutra of Vatsyayana.3 Enough said!

Reference –
1. http://www.equitymaster.com/DETAIL.ASP?story=1&date=4/6/2002
2. http://www.blonnet.com/2002/02/21/stories/2002022100970900.htm
3. http://www.indiaprofile.com/religion-culture/paanchewing.htm

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—About our writer:

Namita says, "A 'psychologist' with over 10 years experience with media and now working in a corporate environment for the past 3 years, having tried my hand at Business Development and now Human Resources. I balance my very corporate existence by delving into the world of plays, spending time with my niece and nephew, and of course writing!"

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