Case study
03
/
04
KeepStokeSmiling
Client
KeepStokeSmiling
Sector
Public Health
Scope
Billboard, Social Media
Year
2023
The short of it
Spreading awareness for tooth decay and promoting oral health around Britain
The brief
We need to create a billboard advertisement that raises awareness of tooth decay among the wider public as part of the Keep Britain Smiling campaign. The advert should communicate a clear, impactful message that resonates with a broad UK audience. The primary target audience is parents and caregivers of young children, encouraging them to take simple, practical steps to reduce the risk of tooth decay from an early age and help build positive, lifelong dental habits.
The idea
The campaign centres on raising awareness of tooth decay while promoting better oral hygiene practices. We focused specifically on one of the most recognisable contributors to tooth decay: fizzy drinks. By tapping into the instantly recognisable visual language of an iconic red colour palette and stylised typography, we leveraged existing brand associations to communicate our message immediately. The familiarity of these cues allows the audience to make an almost instant connection—forming the foundation of the project’s concept and guiding its overall creative direction.
The doing
Entering an already established, globally competitive space, we recognised that simplicity would be key. The objective was to deliver a message that was clear, bold, and immediately understood. Given the billboard format, the available viewing time was extremely limited—typically just 2–5 seconds for audiences passing by in moving vehicles. This constraint meant that complex messaging would be ineffective, as it simply wouldn’t be processed in time. To overcome this, we distilled the concept down to a single, clear one-liner, using simplicity as a strategic tool. This approach ensured the message could be understood almost instantly, without sacrificing impact. Through a considered combination of colour and typography, we created a billboard that is both instantly recognisable and easily understood at a glance. The final outcome delivers a direct and effective message, successfully raising awareness of how everyday products can impact oral health.
