The Breath Palette launch taps into growing demand for increasingly diverse oral care products and is a novelty product that responds to consumer demands for more adventurous flavours.
The complete palette comprises exotic flavours such as Sweet Salt, Blueberry, Pumpkin Pudding, Fuji Apple, Japanese Plum and Monkey Banana. And for the more traditional there is even a peppermint variety.
The mouth flavour is said to last for a few seconds and finishes off with a light menthol yaste. It has also been made without harsh chemicals, is sugar- and alcoholf-free and has a low-evervescence.
There is also a flavour Zero variety, which is marketed as a multi-purpose mouth conditioner that is pH-balance. The gel is used to clean the mouth in order to rid it of odour-creating bacteria, and is also said to be used by professional food and drink tasters in an effort to cleanse the palette between tastings.
Buying up the entire Deluxe palette costs around €130. As this is probably more than most regular consumers can afford, the company also sells the flavours on an individual basis, as well as themed kits called Smoothie, Sweet Tooth, Zen and East-Meets-West, which all contains five different flavours.
The company believes that the kits will make good presents as well as novelty purchases and reported strong sales over the Christmas period, particularly in the US.
Individuals who have tried the toothpastes have reported that the flavours are fairly precise, with Blueberry being marked out by many as a particular favourite. Indeed rumour has it that Keanu Reeves likes the Cola flavour so much he has it specially imported from Japan.
Although this particular launch is very niche and more of a fun product, it does also answer consumer demands for more diverse oral care products.
In recent years toothpaste flavours, particularly in the US, have become decidedly more adventurous as marketers attempt to find new ways of livening up what has long been a mature and relatively stagnant market.
But with oral care accounting for 58 per cent of personal care purchases, this makes it by far the largest category for the industry, so maintaining growth is all the more important.
As part of this aim oral care companies have successfully increased segmentation of the market through product launches such as vibrating floss, tooth wipes, combined toothpaste and mouthwash products and breath strips.
New toothpaste and oral care flavours have also become a key factor for growth, with Crest recently launching a range of unique flavours to its Whitening Expressions line in the US that included Refreshing Vanilla Mint and Fresh Citrus Breeze.