• Ad Age, Thursday, April 13, 2006 12:30 PM

The world of super-premium products is no longer just the province of previously prosaic items like coffee, chocolate, and beer. It has now come to toothpaste and mouthwash as well. A line of specialty oral-care products from Discus Dental will soon be introduced nationally, backed by a $20 million advertising blitz. The product line, previously available in dental offices, includes mouthwashes, toothpastes, tongue scrapers and sprays, priced just under $10. The first product to roll is BreathRx, which gets its own ad campaign starting this month. "If you look at other [health and beauty] categories, like skin care and hair care, there is a super-premium segment that represents probably 15 percent of the business," said Brendan McLoughlin, vice president-general manager of Discus' consumer division. "They tend to be problem-solution-oriented and have a professional recommendation component." The move comes as high-end whiteners like P&G's Crest Whitestrips, Colgate's Simply White and J&J's Rembrandt have been on the retreat of late. The category declined at double-digit rates in measured outlets in recent years, according to Information Resources Inc.

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