Hello Whipped Targets Gen Z With Foaming Toothpaste Line
Colgate-Palmolive's Hello oral care subsidiary introduced a first-of-its-kind foaming toothpaste in January. Designed specifically for Gen Z and older teens, Hello Whipped is hoping to appeal to those consumers who want to add a bit of fun to their daily dental hygiene routine.
The brand's launch messaging combined its "naturally friendly" philosophy with the line's swirl-shaped fluoride formula to target younger consumers with a new way to look at brushing. It offers a playful, foamy experience with cavity prevention, breath freshening and enamel‑strengthening benefits.
Hello's insights helped drive the subsidiary to create a 360-degree approach to meeting the desires of young consumers for sensory delight while delivering the cutting-edge oral care they need. According to a July article on the company's website, Gen Z's spending power is expected to grow to $12 trillion by 2030.
The brand remains focused on delivering experiences that Gen Z wants while creating commerce strategies rooted in data and innovation.
"We wanted to frame and deliver it in a way that was visually appealing to them, with the textures and the nuance and the flavors that seem like they were reinvented for this generation — and we made it fun," Jennifer Vasold-Singh, senior director of growth and innovation at Colgate-Palmolive, said in the article.
Recognizing the importance of capturing the attention of young digital natives who are still developing brand affinities, the brand has continued to focus its effort on the line's online presence since the launch.
"The key thing with product design right now is to make sure it has elements that can be amplified and dramatized in social content," Vasold-Singh said. The launch of Hello Whipped leveraged both the brand's own online footprint and social media to generate buzz and consumer interest ahead of the product landing on shelves earlier this year.
"We really wanted to make sure that we took the time to explain how it's different and own the storytelling on our own platforms first," added Ashley Cutler, a director of integrated brand experience. Teasers went out to the brand's followers, on email and social platforms, promising a "dreamy experience on the horizon."
The brand began promoting the line in stores and online with sensory‑driven creative assets — using a puffing robe metaphor to visualize the product's foamy formula — with visual merchandising that combined its function with a lifestyle choice for Gen Z consumers to gain attention in‑store, encourage trial and align with the brand's identity of joy, transparency and design‑led personal care.
It is available at Walmart, Target, Amazon and on the company’s website, hello-products.com.
It also piloted a TikTok shop, which offered limited-time exclusive giveaways to early buyers, merchandise and unique combo kits, helping provide feedback in real time about which products people wanted to buy together.
In addition, Hello partnered with specific influencer cohorts that speak to Gen Z interests, including ASMR and whimsy-focused content. The brand created its first-ever Chief Aura Officer position for Gen Z actress Chandler Kinney (who appears in the "Legally Blonde" prequel, "Elle"). She offers consumers "aura tips" to upgrade their daily routines.
The brand built on the insight that this generation wants to choose products for themselves, said Juhi Solanki, director of global people-centric packaging innovation at Colgate-Palmolive. "Brushing your teeth goes from being a boring chore that a kid has to do to, now I've grown up and I'm owning my life. I'm choosing my brands. I'm designing my experiences."
The product comes in two flavors — mellow mint dream and peppermint stick — in packaging designed to stand out on social media platforms. It is vegan with no artificial sweeteners, dyes, SLS, parabens or titanium dioxide.
