ArnoldFurnace Sydney brings back ‘Rob the Dentist’ on Facebook in new campaign for Oral-B

January 27 2012, 1:19 pm | BY Lynchy | 4 Comments

Thumbnail image for Picrob the dentist.jpgAfter turning his back on Australian viewers, iconic advertising character ‘Rob the Dentist’ has returned to our screens through a new campaign by ArnoldFurnace Sydney.

The character, who shot to fame through the McCarthy Watson & Spencer, Sydney campaign created by Doug Watson, Faie Davis and Patsy Peacock in 1982, will take Procter & Gamble’s Oral-B into the social networking realm for the first time in Australia by fronting the brand’s Facebook page.

‘Rob the Dentist’ last returned in 2003 to promote the Oral-B power toothbrush range. The ad featured a man in his towel with his back to the camera, while a voiceover explained that ‘Rob’ couldn’t reveal his face as he was a dentist.

In his latest campaign, Rob will be as elusive as ever, taking care not to reveal his full identity.

Joel Cotter, Oral-B Brand Manager, said; “Rob has been responsible for some of the category’s best performing and memorable campaigns. He is widely recognised and continues to intrigue Australian audiences. Rob gives Oral-B’s marketing efforts a real point of difference in the category and we’re excited to provide consumers with the opportunity to engage with Rob for the first time.”

The campaign launched on 11 January as Oral-B’s ‘Rob the Dentist’ Facebook page was set live. Fans of the page have the opportunity to decide and share where they think Rob has been for all these years by getting creative with a Rob avatar.

The most creative entry wins $10,000.

Commenting on the brand’s launch onto Facebook, Joel Cotter added; “While oral care is a generally a low involvement category, one thing that unites many is the anxiety or fear associated with sitting in the dentist’s chair.

We see Facebook as a strong platform for consumers to connect with dentists and share their stories of anxiety. And who better to facilitate that conversation than Rob the Dentist?

The page is about bringing some fun and engagement to the category. It will be less about cavities and plaque and more about light content and experiences to keep oral health top-of-mind and get people visiting their dentist a little more often”.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is the company behind some of Australia’s most well-known brands and while this marks the first step into social media for Oral-B, the company has already seen success in this space for some of its other brands including Pringles (495,434 fans) and Vicks (100,412 fans).

Maile Carnegie, managing director P&G Australia commented; “P&G’s purpose is to touch and improve lives through innovation. We are always striving to deliver innovative campaigns and believe what Rob has to offer Facebook users will be refreshing and a true first for the category.”