Partnership extension is underscored by a new global campaign to drive behavioural change.
Exclusive three-year agreement
Unilever and the FDI World Dental Federation have extended their partnership for a further three years from 2010, with the option to extend it for another three years after that.
Through this public-private partnership, the only one of its kind for oral care in the world, the two organisations drive nationwide campaigns globally and widely promote educational material on the importance of tooth-brushing to schools and dentists.
The FDI World Dental Federation is an independent global organisation which represents approximately one million dentists worldwide, as well as 200 national dental associations and specialist groups. Its vision is to lead the world to optimal oral health, which it says is a fundamental part of general health and well-being.
Unilever helps the FDI World Dental Federation achieve this on a global scale through its market-leading oral care brands Pepsodent, Signal, Close Up, Mentadent, Aim, P/S and Zhong Hua.
Making an impact
50% of the world's population don't brush their teeth, revealing a huge opportunity to promote good oral health. The commitment to extend the partnership has been marked by launching a new global campaign to drive behavioural change.
Working closely with dental associations, the 'brush day and night' campaign focuses on the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, further building on an awareness campaign established and developed over the past five years since the partnership first began.
Speaking about the importance of its work with Unilever, President of the FDI World Dental Federation, Burton Conrod, said:
"In today's economic environment, it is more important than ever that philanthropic activity is aligned with business objectives in order to make sustainable improvements in health. The FDI's partnership with Unilever Oral Care is, in my view, an example of how public-private partnerships can meet the objectives of both charities and shareholders."
Together, the Unilever FDI World Dental Federation partnership supports more than 40 oral health improvement programmes in 37 countries around the world. Unilever's Oral Care category also supports dental research through its partnership with the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) spanning 25 years.