Unilever’s Pepsodent has launched a campaign for its Gum Expert range in Indonesia, developed by Frank Singapore, Omnicom’s dedicated Unilever team, and directed by horror filmmaker Anggy Umbara . The campaign sees classic horror characters—including Dracula and a werewolf—confront tooth loss and bleeding gums as nightmares of their own.
In one film, Dracula attempts to bite his victim but fails because he has lost his fangs due to poor gum health. In another, a werewolf gets meat stuck in his teeth as a result of gum issues.
The campaign, titled ‘Pepsodent Gum Mysteries’, blends horror, comedy, and entertainment to address what the release describes as a common gap in consumer knowledge — many adults experiencing tooth discomfort focus only on their teeth without realizing the root cause often begins with their gums.
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Launching first in Indonesia before expanding to Vietnam later this year, the campaign encompasses fake horror trailers, cinematic short films, director interviews, and social-first livestream content and creator collaborations.
“Gum problems can lead to bleeding, sensitivity and even tooth loss, yet they are frequently overlooked until it is too late,” said Madhurjya (Banjo) Banerjee, Senior Global Brand Director, Oral Care, Unilever.
“With this campaign and our Gum Expert range, we are aiming to help consumers better understand that healthy gums are the foundation of strong teeth, and that gum protection can start with the right toothpaste. This campaign helps us to approach the issue not through fear or statistics, but through entertainment and culture. By leveraging horror, comedy and storytelling formats people love watching and sharing, we aim to make gum health feel more relevant and easier to talk about.”
“This is a fresh challenge for me. Usually, I create monsters to scare the living daylights out of audiences. This time, I need people to root for them instead,” said Anggy Umbara.
“It is important that viewers feel what Dracula is going through when his fangs falls out. Imagine the prince of darkness with no fangs — it’s the end of the world for Dracula because he can’t do the one thing that has to do to keep himself alive. If the audience can relate to his humiliation, confusion and fear, then they will start thinking about their own gums.”
Beyond the films, the campaign includes fake horror trailers, creator reaction videos, Dracula livestreams, and a “Draculamaxxing” grooming trend, with creators producing fan theories, parodies, and recreations on TikTok.
The release says the ‘Pepsodent Gum Mysteries’ campaign builds on Pepsodent’s evolution from a family hygiene brand to a presence in modern oral care conversations. Earlier this year, Pepsodent launched the TeethTalk Academy initiative, described as building a community of “dentfluencers” producing oral care content.
“It’s 2026. Nobody is going to care about their gums because someone in a white coat tells them to do so. And we definitely don’t need another influencer sharing their best-kept secret,” said Terence Leong, Executive Creative Director, frank. Singapore.
“We knew we needed something more radical to start a conversation about gum care. Kudos to our clients for having the courage to try something supernatural. It was definitely a risk to get vampires and a werewolf to sell toothpaste to human beings — in fact, it’s unheard of in the category. The engagement numbers so far are showing that these monsters are more entertaining, persuasive and relatable than most human beings we’ve casted in the past.”
