The road to "Enbrightenment"

Orbit gums's microsite Friends of Bright invites users to join a cult of people bent on having white teeth. There's a song to watch the commune sing (and for you to download as an mp3 or ringtone), films and slide shows to watch featuring the creepy (yet sexy) commune leader sharing his and others' stories to "enbrightenment." The others tell horror stories of wine stains and "funk" ruining their lives. The movie and film strip are introduced by the perky and somewhat retro hostess who appears on the commercials. (She should have been the commune leader, in my opinion).

One feature that cracked me up is the process the user goes through in becoming an "enbrightened" member of the cult. You upload a photo of yourself and through the magic of Orbit gum, you're seen in a more dazzling whiter light. (Judge for yourself. I think I look pretty white). This portion of the "journey" was my favorite, because, well, it involved me. Call me self-centered, but this was the highlight of the campaign. And I doubt I would be alone if a poll was conducted on the topic. People want engagement that somehow involves them, in some instances. And in this instance, what truly brought me into the "fold" was the photo of myself in a funny costume. Simple, but, hey, it got me to laugh.