Launching Colgate’s connected tech ecosystem across DTC and Mass Retail
Market Opportunity
Entering the connected device category required bridging three distinct sectors: consumer electronics, clinical oral health, and mass CPG. Traditional smart toothbrushes often failed by looking overly clinical or complex, creating friction at point-of-sale and onboarding.
Strategic priorities included:
De-risking Category Onboarding: Humanize smart technology through intuitive visual cues, removing technical friction to accelerate consumer trial
Leveraging Parent Equity: Anchor the new sub-brand within Colgate’s category authority while establishing a modern, standalone identity capable of attracting tech-forward demographics
Outcome
Developed a holistic, omni-channel brand ecosystem for Colgate’s entry into the smart oral care category. By balancing consumer electronics innovation with everyday accessibility, we created a flexible design system that scaled seamlessly from DTC digital touchpoints to nationwide Target retail endcaps, unlocking rapid portfolio expansion across mouthwash (SWISH) and kids' smart care.
hum by Colgate was designed as a cohesive brand ecosystem, balancing science, simplicity, and human warmth across every interaction. At the core of the system is a logo designed around movement and behavior. The “m” visually mimics the brushing motion and the form of teeth – creating a modern, ownable visual language. This idea became a sensory expression of the sound and feeling of brushing, inspiring the tagline “sounds like smiles.”
We connected the physical product and digital experience into one clear brand story:
First Impressions Matter: Designed the unboxing experience to introduce the brand the second the box opens, making setup feel effortless
Cross-Channel Impact: Ensured the design feels identical whether a customer is looking at the app, opening a package at home, or walking down the aisle at retail
Brand & Packaging Strategy
Packaging Design
Identity & Brand World Development
Design System & Portfolio Architecture
DTC, Digital & Retail Experience
Physical Touchpoints (Unboxing & POS)
Sustainable Packaging
In collaboration with Pearlfisher
Level up your brushing routine with the hum by Colgate app!
Designed to work seamlessly with their smart electric toothbrushes, the hum app personalizes your oral hygiene experience. Using Bluetooth connectivity, the app tracks your brushing habits, highlighting areas that might need extra attention. Earn points for good brushing technique and unlock rewards, making brushing fun and motivating, especially for kids. With the hum app, you can achieve a cleaner, healthier smile while enjoying a more engaging brushing experience.
What are some ways to design a branded unboxing experience?
By considering details like having branded tape that showed the up and down brushing motion that grows out of the hum by Colgate logo, of course! The flood of brand red on the interior of the box makes for a simple way to bring surprise to the unboxing experience.
Scaling from a Single Product to a Full Oral Care Line
Instead of just designing a toothbrush, we created a brand world that could easily stretch into new retail doors and product categories:
Proving it Online, Winning at Retail: Transitioned from direct-to-consumer sales to a major rollout at Target with packaging built for maximum shelf presence
Adding New Categories with SWISH: Expanded the brand into mouthwash using sustainable aluminum bottles that stand out in the oral rinse aisle
Capturing the Whole Household: Brought hum kids into the lineup, pairing customizable hardware with an interactive app experience to build long-term brand loyalty
The hum by Colgate toothbrush family grew as well.
How can we get the whole family enjoying the sound of clean?
Design special brushes that appeal to tweens and kids. For the product below, we had the idea of making the product and packaging interactive by including a sheet of fun stickers. This would encourage our young consumers to personalize and embellish their toothbrush in a way that was uniquely them!
Modernizing Category Leaders
