Young Artist Inspires New Marketing Push for Dad’s Business: Molly Molar is Born and Sales Jump

A 10-year old Denver girl’s drawing takes on a life of its own and eventually becomes the basis for a $1 million television advertising campaign, a comic book and plush toy.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) October 3, 2005

Thanks to national efforts such as “Take Your Daughter or Son To Work Day,” it’s not unusual for kids today to have a better idea of what their parents do. But it’s quite unusual for a ten-year old to have such a keen understanding of her father’s business that she can hatch an idea that turns into a marketing success story.

In the summer of 2004, Lauren Birner was doing what lots of kids do: drawing just for fun. With a dad in the dental business, it might not be surprising that she eventually started drawing a tooth. Calling her creation “Molly Molar,” Lauren enlisted the help of her older sister Audrey and turned the drawing into a comic strip that followed Molly on a visit to the dentist. The two thought it would make a great TV spot for their dad’s company and showed it to the CEO of Birner Dental Management, the parent company of Perfect Teeth locations in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.

Fred Birner’s first reaction was as a businessman—a new television spot was the last thing Perfect Teeth needed to do. Creating a television commercial is a major investment and they already had a commercial that had been running successfully. But over the months, he left the drawing on his desk and he began to see the possibilities.

Becoming curious about what non-family members thought of the idea, Birner consulted with his advertising agency, AOR, Inc. The agency liked the idea of an animated character and thought it could help humanize the Perfect Teeth dentists and differentiate them in the marketplace. The agency went to work to create a Pixar™-like animated character and wrote a script that gave Molly a distinct personality.

Since the new spot began airing on metro Denver TV stations in January 2005, Perfect Teeth posted the best first quarter in corporate history, with revenue up 14% and net income up 63%. Same office sales are up ten percent.

Looking ahead, both girls say they may have a future in art. “I love cartoons. It would be fun to be an artist when I grow up. Especially for The New Yorker,” adds the ambitious 10-year old Lauren.

Perfect Teeth offers comprehensive dental care at 54 locations in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Their website is http://www.bdms-perfectteeth.com.

###