• The New York Times, Wednesday, January 17, 2007 12 PM

Mixing money and fame with a dash of fear, toothpaste purveyors are racing to be first in an ever-crowded consumer product category. Procter & Gamble is backing its new Crest Pro-Health with a $100 million ad campaign, its largest ever for a new dental product, designed to take on strong-selling Colgate Total line.

Colgate has its own record of ad spending, going with a campaign featuring actress Brooke Shield, the first time Colgate Total has used a celebrity in its campaign. Its ads use glamour and emotion, a shift from the previous campaign, which focused on its germ-fighting prowess.

It's an intensifying war in a product category that is super-crowded. Since buyers generally see little difference between such products, these marketers are trying to persuade consumers that there are important distinctions that could affect their health.

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