Flossing teeth isn't particularly sexy. But providing an easy way to floss just might be. "Everyone knows they're supposed to do it; nobody does it," said Erin Manning, senior account supervisor of OneVoice, the firm charged with producing the launch event for the Philips Sonicare AirFloss, a dental care product offering a new way to clean between teeth. "Seventy-five percent of Canadians don't floss, and we have a solution for that now."
An intimate group of 15 lifestyle, health, and wellness editors gathered for the unveiling of the new Sonicare product on Wednesday at Jamie Kennedy at the Gardiner Museum.
Hoping to engage invitees and guests, OneVoice developed the concept of the fictional "AirFloss Airlines." Guests received hand-delivered invites designed to look like boarding passes from models dressed in custom made flight attendant uniforms, with copy advising, "Attendees are encouraged to check their manual floss at the gate." And when guests arrived, they did, in fact, encounter an authentic check-in desk and airport seating—as well as wand-toting security personnel, vintage luggage, and a gourmet take on airplane food from Jamie Kennedy Event Catering.
The afternoon affair included refreshments followed by a presentation from dentist Dr. Uche Odiatu, who spoke about the history of flossing and what it does, and Philips Sonicare marketing manager Paul Jessen, who talked about the AirFloss. A Q&A session and one-on-one interviews followed.
Executing an airline-inspired theme with unusual furnishings required making some adjustments, including scrapping an initial plan to recreate the interior of an airplane. "You have to go big or go home," says Manning, who noted that securing the necessary statement-making pieces required trimming the budget of other elements of the event. She credits the event's stylist Christine Roberts of Judy Inc. with curating the unconventional collection at a manageable cost. Roberts used pieces from sources such as prop houses, Ikea, vintage stores, and her own collection for the event, and even enlisted some help from her kids. "The paper airplanes were made by my 12- and nine-year-olds," she says.
