After 120 years, Listerine had lost its momentum. People knew that it killed germs but viewed the brand as cold, authoritarian and old fashioned - something that they would find in their grandmother's medicine cabinet.

We needed a branding idea that would re-energize the business by delivering Listerine's efficacious credentials in a fresh, friendly and contemporary way. The idea also had to be big enough to support line extensions and new products. Positioning the Listerine brand as the "Action Hero For A Cleaner Mouth" led to our "Bottle Guy" campaign, which has now been running for six years. In order to keep the campaign fresh, we have evolved it over time to include "Tooth Brush Man" and "Floss Boy." Pfizer has applied the "Action Hero" idea to all of their in-store and promotional activity.

The campaign has revitalized Listerine mouthwash, driving it from 21% to 53% dollar share. The "Action Hero" positioning also led to the campaign that helped Listerine PocketPaks exceed their full first year sales objectives four months after launch and propelled them to the position of #1 selling breath freshener in Canada. Listerine has won two Cassies over the last three years.

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