Pfizer is set to debut a mouthwash promising to brighten smiles, capitalizing on the expanding tooth-whitening market and riding the coattails of its competitor Procter & Gamble, which just introduced its own version of the mouth rinse product.
Pfizer’s product, Listerine Whitening Pre-Brush Rinse, is expected to hit store shelves in May, expanding New York-based Pfizer’s line of products into the cosmetics arena.
Calls to Pfizer were not returned.
Last month, P&G’s new product, Crest Pro-Health, hit stores backed by a $100 million marketing spend, the company’s biggest initiative for the year.
Marketing includes 30-second as well as DRTV spots—that prompt the viewer to request coupons—and print. The ads focus on the health benefits of the product and its claim that it “kills germs without the burns,” a direct challenge to Listerine. P&G said that only 50% of households use mouthwash and that use is low because of the burning feeling of some mouthwashes. Sampling takes place at doctor’s and dentist’s offices as well as at health clubs. P&G also markets the mouthwash brand Scope.
The $1 billion a year market for mouthwash is dominated by Listerine.
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