He's physically fit, at the top of his game, enjoying the finer things in life. All he's missing is a beautiful smile. Who is he? The handsome middle-aged man featured on Nobel Biocare's 30-second television commercial airing during such high-profile news and talk shows as Good Morning America, The Today Show, Hardball, Meet the Press and Imus in the Morning.
Part of Nobel Biocare's multi-million-dollar consumer education campaign, the television commercial is a lifestyle, image-focused advertisement. There is no mention of specific restorations; rather, it promotes the concept of a "NobelSmile" and explains how the "tooth fairy for adults" can restore the viewers' teeth and their self-confidence. It refers them to 877-MyNobel and [www.NobelSmile.tv],(http://www.nobelsmile.tv) where they can get more information on all-ceramic crowns and fixed bridges on implants, learn the answers to frequently asked questions and find a doctor in their area who can offer them a NobelSmile.
The dentists listed on the site are either Nobel Biocare Partners (those who purchase 100 or more implants per year) or a member of a NobelEsthetics™ Dental Practice (a program for which they sign up and get credit for their use of Procera® crowns and bridges). The dentists as a group are paying 20% of the air space cost while Nobel Biocare is paying 80% of that cost in addition to all the commercial production expenses and media placement fees.
Although there is no direct laboratory participation in the commercial, labs will benefit from the trickle-down marketing effect. "By drawing in new patients and increasing implant and Procera business for our Nobel Biocare Partners and NobelEsthetic Dental Practice Program participants, laboratory business will also grow as a result," says Julie Ficke, vice president of marketing, Nobel Biocare, North America.
The airing schedule on ABC, NBC, CNBC, Fox and MSNBC is targeting 35- to 64-year olds with disposable income and hitting about 682 million viewers. The commercial started airing in mid-April and is scheduled to run in 90-day segments. At press time, the ad had been airing for about six weeks and the 800 participating dentists had received over 2,000 phone calls. "The response to date has by far exceeded our expectations," says Ficke. "Typically it takes a viewer three to seven times to see an ad before they respond, so we're delighted with the quick response time we're seeing!"
In conjunction with the commercial, Nobel Biocare's consumer awareness campaign also includes print ads in Prevention, Walking Fit and Weight Loss magazines. Also, in mid-May, a four-minute segment on its Teeth in an Hour™ procedure was featured on more than 200 nationwide airings of Alexander Haig's Health Journal Television, paid programming that profiles medical companies on Bravo and CNBC. The campaign also includes an additional website, www.NobelSmile.com, which provides similar information as www.NobelSmile.tv but is being marketed in 29 countries with the content translated into the corresponding languages.
"It's unfortunate that implants have been in use for 40 years but only three to 12% of the potential market is actually getting them," says Ficke. "We're spending millions of dollars on this campaign and are quite dedicated to it. We're working diligently to ensure that consumers are educated about the implant and all-ceramic solutions that Nobel Biocare can provide and partnering with our doctors that provide our solutions to drive potential new patients their way."
