In April of 2017, a TV production crew arrived at Dentsply Sirona China’s Shanghai Showroom to begin taping a 45-episode drama called “Mr. Right.” The show’s male lead is a dental professional who has opened a high-end clinic with a futuristic design. Outside of work, the protagonist is very keen on giving advice on courtship and love despite never having been in love himself. Naturally there is a metaphorical connection between matters of love and teeth.

The show stars several prominent actors and actresses in China such as Cheng Hao and Luo Yue who play the drama’s main characters. The clinic was built up temporarily for filming, but features innovative technology and a very elegant design. The film’s producers decided to work with Dentsply Sirona thanks to the high-end design and reputation of the company and its products. The clinic shows off a number of Dentsply Sirona products such as the Intego treatment center and Orthophos XG imaging unit.

A surprise PR boost

At the start of shooting, the director viewed the treatment center as nothing more than a tool in the workspace. However, as time went by, he began to realize the importance of the treatment center and appreciated how well the Intego fit into his vision of a modern dental clinic. Unbeknownst to the Dentsply Sirona team, the director decided to change the actor’s lines in a scene where he is considering the purchase of a new treatment center to say that, “Dentsply Sirona now has a new treatment center and it’s an amazing treatment center - too awesome!” The show began broadcasting in February and when this episode aired mentioning Dentsply Sirona by name, it came as a shock.

Given the show’s superstar cast, it was no surprise that many customers watched and took note of the design of the dental clinic itself. The direct mention of the brand attracted a lot of attention and many calls to the hotline including one asking, “Can you please tell me where this clinic is located? I want to build up a new clinic exactly the same as the one in the show…and what is the name of that treatment center?” Dentists from public hospitals and private clinics were calling and stopping by the showroom to ask if it was indeed a Dentsply Sirona treatment center featured in Mr. Right.

At the show’s broadcasting halfway mark, the marketing communications team came up with a creative idea to find clinics in real-life with workspaces modeled on the TV clinic.