Denplan will be running a national TV advertising campaign throughout October connecting the importance of good oral health, visiting a dentist and the "selfie" phenomenon.
The insurer said the ad's use of humour is a departure from dental advertisements in the past which traditionally relied on educational or clinical tones or using the fear factor to encourage people to visit the dentist.
Richard Ward, head of marketing at Denplan said: "The ad plays on todays' selfie-obsessed culture by using humour to dramatise what happens when people lack confidence about their teeth whilst taking a selfie."
He added: "There is also a fun interactive element with the incorporation of a hashtag(#doitforyourselfie) encouraging people to generate and post their own selfie via Twitter, Instagram. Facebook or via www.doitforyourselfie.co.uk."
Denplan is also encouraging companies to take note of the campaign and promotional marketing packs containing a poster have been sent to Denplan's corporate clients with employees also eligible to enter the #doitforyourselfie competition.
Simplyhealth, who bought Denplan in 2011, has invested £1.2 million into the project, making it Denplan's biggest advertising campaign to date.
Denplan also conducted some selfie research to support the ad campaign. AYouGov survey revealed 5.6 million selfies are taken in an average day by adults online.
Three quarters (74%) of adults have worried about how their teeth look in photographs and a third of adults (33%) have smiled but purposely not shown their teeth due to being embarrassed by them.
Ward continued: "We want everyone to feel proud of their smile, so the TV ad highlights the importance of preventive care and encourages patients to seek advice from a Denplan dentist. We've also produced a lot of supporting collateral for our member dentists and their practices to use, to support this nationwide campaign so that it becomes a real talking point with both their new and existing patients.
"All practices have been sent a #doitforyourselfie pack which contains a range of marketing tools to help practices make the most of the campaign, including some eye catching background posters and a selfie stick so that practice teams can encourage patients to take a "post check-up selfie" and enter the #doitforyourselfie competition. There are also post check-up selfie stickers to give to participating patients."
Denplan's chief dental officer Roger Matthews said of the use of humour in the ad: "That said, this meant it was vitally important to consult dentists in the making of the ad, especially when we were working on producing the tooth and gum prosthetics.
"We wanted to ensure the ad remained sensitive to real dental conditions that are no fault of the patient - such as chipped or misaligned teeth - but at the same time we needed to convey a positive feeling towards the importance of visiting the dentist regularly and having a good oral health routine to prevent problems before they start. Without paying adequate attention to your teeth and oral health, it's possible that people's teeth may not always look or feel good, which can impact confidence."
The first airing of the TV ad will be on primetime television during the Scotland v Samoa Rugby World Cup match on the afternoon of Saturday 10th October.
The ad will be aired for three weeks on channels including ITV, Channel 4, Sky and Channel 5. The ad has been produced by one of the UK's leading creative agencies, Brothers and Sisters.
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