CERVEZA SALTA | TOOTH IMPLANT | 2015
This Is a Condom Ad / CERVEZA SALTA "TOOTH IMPLANT"
A rugby player loses a tooth during a match. It happens all the time. But this campaign actually implanted a 'tooth that doubles as a bottle opener' in place of the lost one. The surgery, the bottle-opening scene—it's all real. This project won a Titanium Lion at Cannes Lions 2015.
The problem
In rugby, wearing a mouthguard isn't mandatory. So a lot of players end up losing teeth. Bones heal, but teeth don't grow back. Still, players show off their chipped teeth to their teammates. That's part of their macho pride.
The insight
Tough, beer-loving, and the type to want to open bottles with their teeth. Salta zeroed in on that simple trait of these players.
The idea
What they made was a dental implant that doubles as a beer bottle opener. It had the Salta logo engraved on it, and three players actually underwent real surgery to get one. After leaving the hospital, they casually opened bottles with it at a pub to show it off. The video even shows the surgery itself—a raw, unflinching piece of work.
What happened
The agency reportedly thought at first it would be hard to find players willing to go through with it. But candidates showed up right away, and the comments filled up with people saying 'I want one too.' It won a Titanium Lion at Cannes Lions 2015, and became a signature work of Ogilvy & Mather Buenos Aires.
Afterthought
Implanting a brand logo into someone's tooth sounds like a completely crazy idea. But there's real feeling behind it—a desire to give back something more than what was lost. When practicality, brand, and respect all come together, an ad shifts from 'too far' to 'all the way.' Makes me want to go all the way on something myself.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2015
