Colgate is reframing the role of a smile in its latest campaign, Your Smile Is Your Strength, which connects everyday routines to something deeper: resilience.
Developed with VML, the campaign speaks directly to Millennial caregivers, an audience often balancing self-doubt while showing up for everyone else. The insight is simple but sharp, the smiles we give ourselves matter just as much as the ones we share with others.
The work is grounded in new research from Burson Insights, Data & Intelligence, based on a February 2026 survey of 1,711 adults across the U.S. and Canada. The findings highlight a clear connection between smiling and emotional strength, reinforcing the idea that even small moments of self-care can shape how people navigate their day.
At the center of the campaign are 30-second and 15-second spots that turn the bathroom mirror into a stage for something more than routine. It becomes a space where self-doubt can shift into confidence. A quiet reset before the day begins. Colgate positions itself within that ritual, not just as a product, but as part of a daily act of showing up for yourself. Watch below:
“Confidence for life’s big moments often starts with a simple routine,” said Gavin Du Toit, EVP Marketing, North America at Colgate-Palmolive. “Whether it’s a quiet pause to prepare for the day or a final check in the mirror after brushing, small but meaningful moments often unfold in front of the bathroom mirror and Colgate plays a pivotal role in people’s daily rituals. With Your Smile Is Your Strength, we aim to acknowledge the daily moments of self-doubt people experience and remind them that resilience often starts with how we show up for ourselves.”
The campaign is rolling out across linear TV, including both general-market and U.S. Hispanic audiences, as well as YouTube, Disney CTV, and social platforms like Meta and TikTok. Premium placements such as Meta Moment Maker and TikTok Top Feed help extend the reach, while more than 30 creators bring the message to life through authentic, real-time content across social.
Names like Aaliyah Edwards, Ellasandra Muse, Mercy Perkins, and Erin Eliz Rundle are part of that mix, helping translate the campaign into lived experiences rather than polished messaging.
Colgate is also expanding the idea beyond advertising by partnering with Calm to introduce custom mindfulness content designed to help people find moments of reflection amid everyday chaos. The content will live on both the Calm app and Colgate’s YouTube channel.
VML’s Justin Roth and Jim Wood add, “When we started, we asked ourselves what role does our smile play within the craziness of daily life. And we discovered it’s more than just an expression on our face, it’s a mindset, it’s how we choose to face the world every day and all that is thrown at us. So, to some extent, a smile is the shape resilience takes. A symbol of strength. Which is a powerful thing.”
It is a clean idea with emotional weight. Less about perfection. More about presence.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Colgate-Palmolive
- Gavin Du Toit, EVP Marketing & General Manager, North America
- Amy Benford, Sr. VP, General Manager
- Jen Caballero, Senior Director
- Horacio Munoz, Senior Brand Manager
- Karam Kapur, Senior Brand Manager
- Kristen Babkes, Senior Director, Media & Advanced Advertising
- Diana Colley, Senior Manager, Media
- Rebecca Keszkowski, Director, Social, Influencer & Communications
- Andrea Gasic, Social Media Manager
- Lara Olson, Manager Influencer Marketing
AGENCY: VML, NY
- Jason Xenopoulos, CEO & Chief Creative Officer
- Jim Wood, Executive Creative Director
- Justin Roth, Executive Creative Director
- Crystal Duel, Creative Director
- Elliott Graham, Creative Director
- Gavi Zarin, Associate Creative Director
- Rachel Edwards, Associate Creative Director
- Jessica Fiore, Senior Producer
- Karen Blatchford, Senior Art Producer
- Jennifer Blum, Associate Director, Business Affairs
- Alison Karp, North America Client President
- Becky Ginsberg, Executive Director
- Aleya Brahmachary, Managing Director
- Kate Seals, Account Director
- Jess Suarez, Senior Account Manager
- Zoe Bossan, Account Supervisor
- Mika Ro, Account Manager
- Katie Moore, Program Manager
- Jessica Summerfield, Executive Director, Brand Strategy
Kevin Mernin, Associate Director, Brand Strategy
AGENCY: VML, Miami
US Hispanic Market Adaptations
- Susana Santacoloma, Managing Director
- Katherine Zaatini, Senior Account Manager
- Rebecca Rosen, Associate Director, Brand Strategy
- Jesus Franco Rodriguez, Senior Copywriter
MEDIA: WPP Media
- Jessica Gagliardi, Executive Director, Media
- Michelle Carpenter, Group Director, Media
- Georgina King, Director, Media
- Amber Bagdonas, Associate Director, Media
- Alexander Prasad, Manager, Media
- Kassandra Rosario, Senior Associate, Media
- Riley Dreisbach, Associate, Media
- Tara Sadlak, Group Director, Media
- Kenneth Bindel, Associate Director, Media
- Alexander Rebollo, Senior Associate, Media
- Daniel J Brown, Associate, Media
- Francis Udler, Director, Media
- Lili Clement, Associate Director, Media
- Emylia Rochyadi, Manager, Media
- Deena Kouroupas, Senior Associate, Media
- Sandro Schiavo, Group Director, Measurement
- Luisa Cabrera Faist, Group Director, Comms
- Jaimie Mammolito, Director, Comms
- Emily Lancaster, Associate Director, Comms
- Tim Correia, Director, CA Media
- Christine Ma, Manager, CA Media
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Canada
- Shelia Johansson, Director
- Matt Clyde , Executive Producer
- Marta Argullós, Executive Producer
- Sara Renteria, Line producer
- Rita Puig-Serra Costa, Photographer
REELated:
Uber enlists Maura Higgins for “Irish Exit” campaign
