Dive Brief:

• Listerine is enlisting Twitch streamers to make music based on the sounds of its mouthwash products, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The social-first effort spans four streams on the Amazon-owned video platform: One for each of the three creator partners and then a finale on Jan. 9 that will unite the trio in Los Angeles to create a soundtrack that will run on Amazon Ads audio. 
• The Kenvue-owned brand is supporting the “Wash Your Mouth Your Way” campaign with paid media on Twitch, including headliner placements timed to New Year’s and Quitter’s Day. In addition, Listerine will run targeted display and 15-second brand spots during the programming. 

Dive Insight:

Listerine is transforming the familiar sounds of using its product, from uncapping the bottle to swishing mouthwash around, into music with the help of content creators. The final tune developed between the trio of Twitch partners will serve as the soundtrack for an audio campaign running through Amazon Ads.  

The effort timed to New Year’s and Quitter’s Day — the second Friday of January, when many people tend to give up their resolutions — shows the Kenvue brand embracing social-first marketing that could appeal to Gen Z consumers. Listerine said the concept aims to inspire fresh rituals for people planning their resolutions for 2026. Twitch is best-known for its gaming content, but has expanded its offerings for brands as Amazon builds out its advertising business. 

The first stream on New Year’s Eve will spotlight improvisational drummer officedrummer, a second stream on Jan. 6 will focus on a yet-to-be-named singer-songwriter and a third stream on Jan. 7 will feature mcd00dle, a multi-instrumentalist and leader of Twitch’s Women and Latin Guilds. Each two-hour session will see the creator introduce the Listerine sound pack and experiment with producing a 30-second song snippet done in their own style, asking viewers for feedback via chat along the way. The creators will then unite in Los Angeles on Jan. 9, Quitter’s Day, to collaborate on a final “swish” piece.

Listerine’s music-driven push echoes past campaigns that have tried to flip everyday sounds into distinctive marketing assets. PepsiCo’s Tostitos in 2022 used the noise of crunching chips and tapping salsa jars as the basis for an audio logo that helped drive brand recall by 38%. Marketers have also leveraged the popularity of ASMR content to soothe stressed-out consumers. 

Other recent campaigns from Listerine include “Wash Your Mouth,” which features “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo encouraging better oral hygiene.