As a media analyst, I look at everything through the eyes of mass communication. So, when I first heard of the Brüush electric toothbrush, I immediately recalled that iconic moment in the 2000 rom-com-themed movie Bring It On between Kirsten Dunst as Torrance Shipman and Jesse Bradford as Cliff Pantone as they are brushing their teeth. The tension! The romance! Those sparkling pearly whites!

More recently, singer Ariana Grande replicated that scene from Bring It On in her rom-com filled Thank U, Next video with her Victorious co-star Matt Bennett.

Then, after I sampled the Brüush electric toothbrush (which I now happily use regularly), I thought of the endless array of products featured on ABC’s veteran Shark Tank and why this product would be a perfect addition. Don’t we all, at this point, have that cute smiling Sponge Daddy in our kitchen? Or Bantam Bagels or Cousins ​​Maine Lobsters in our refrigerators? Or Bombas socks and those holiday-themed Tipsy Elves sweaters ready to wear? Not to mention other Shark Tank product favorites like the exercise-themed Simply Fit Board, the ReadeREST magnetic eye-glass holders, the Drop Stop Car Seat Stopper, the Lovepop custom cards, the PhoneSoap UV Phone Sanitizer, Hanukkah-themed Mensch on a Bench, and Squatty Potty, the portable toilet stool. We all want a comfortable experience doing what comes naturally!

Next in my media mind, not surprisingly, was QVC and HSN, among other home shopping networks, which years before Amazon was in anyone’s vocabulary cornered the marketplace for shopping in the convenience of your home. Of course, you can also buy anything either online and via their mobile apps, which for Bruush (or any retailer) is a tremendous asset.

For Aneil Manhas, the founder and CEO of Bruush, a deal with Shark Tank was not a prerequisite. Manhas debuted as an entrepreneur after a successful career in the finance industry, with businesses focused in the outdoor recreation space, including power sports and electric bicycles.

“The idea for the electric toothbrush came to me about five years ago, and partly spun from my interest in the subscription razor businesses (Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s) and how successfully those companies disrupted that category,” noted Manhas “Anyone who shaves can relate to their value proposition with the razor heads being very expensive and the buying experience being very poor. The heads are locked up, you have to get an attendant, and you have to figure out what razor heads fit your device. Not a fun process .”

“At that point, I was surprised that no one had taken this model that had worked so well in that industry and applied it to the electric toothbrush industry. I thought that the problem was more or less the same, with the electric toothbrush heads being expensive and the retail buying experience being frustrating,” he added. “Moreover, any dentist would agree you should be using electric over manual, which the majority of people still do not use.”

According to a report by consumer marketing analysis firm Mintel in September 2021, just over one-third – 36 percent — of adults say they use a powered toothbrush. Personally speaking, and now as a regular user of the electric toothbrush, I am one of the 64 percent that Bruush has converted. The moral of that story: You are never too old to change lifestyle habits!

Through the Brüush website consumers can purchase a Brüush starter kit for $79, which includes the electric toothbrush, three brush heads, a magnetic charging stand and USB power adapter, and a travel case. The available subscription plan offers three new brush heads every six months for $18.

Ironically, one product the “Sharks” did not get a deal on, the Ring Video Doorbell (only Kevin O’Leary offered a deal and was turned down), was sold by the owner, Jamie Siminoff, for mammoth $1.1 billion in February 2018 . But one of the guest judges appearing on Shark Tank Over the years, comedian and actor Kevin Hart, joined Bruush in 2020 as an investor and partner, and a brand ambassador.

“We felt that Bruush fit with Kevin’s mantra, ‘Live. Love. Laugh’, and our electric toothbrush Bruush was a product he was using every day, as was his family,” noted Aneil Manhas. “He has a very wide demographic base ; 150 million followers on Instagram; and we just thought it was a good fit for both sides.”

The Vancouver-based Bruush has a series of videos with Kevin Hart comically detailing the brand and its attributes.

“I loved Brüush from the first time I tried it. Our partnership makes a lot of sense given we both are obsessed with smiles, everything about it feels natural and authentic,” said Hart in a statement after joining the firm. “Aneil and the team encouraged me to lean into my style of humor through the creative. Together, we are going to take Brüush to the next level of growth and break some of the norms of the category while we are at it.”

Refreshing the Oral Care Category

Fusing sonic technology with six cleaning modes (Daily, White, Gentle, Gum, Max and Tongue) and ultra-soft bristles for an effective clean that is always gentle on your gums, the Brüush packaging is similar in look to an Apple-related product , with a modern design unlike anything else in the category.

“By making it more financially accessible, we are reducing the barriers between consumers and access to premium oral care products,” noted Manhas. “We have 28,000 active subscribers that we are focused on that really drives our revenue. And with our brush head refill subscription there is no obligation; you can cancel at any time.”

“If Apple made a tooth brush it would be like this,” wrote one individual in a review.

The mothership for Bruush, so to speak, is the current electric toothbrush and subscription plan. But scheduled to launch in 2023 are toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, a whitening pen (all in the first quarter), and an electric toothbrush designed for kids (in the second quarter).

“Although our addressable market is very large, we are really focused on the millennial and Gen Z group,” noted Manhas. “Seventy percent of our customer base is between the ages 18 and 45, and for the vast majority of our customers the Brüush brand is their first electric toothbrush. We are very much going after that big market of manual brush users and trying to convince them there has never been a more opportune time to upgrade from manual to electric.”

“To me, the hero product is the electric toothbrush. When someone checks out at our website, the thought is that they will then be drawn to purchase these ancillary products,” noted Manhas. “Like anything else, being an entrepreneur has its challenges and its rewards. For me, being recently listed on the Nasdaq was a really proud moment. There were so many trials and tribulations to get to where we are today, but the journey so far has been an incredible experience and in many ways we are really just starting.”

For the “Sharks” on Shark Tank ——– Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary (among others) – I could already envision multiple offers for this product line. But without it, Bruush is rapidly solidifying its status in the oral care hygiene space. And, through Aneil Manhas, the potential merits of traveling the entrepreneurial route are duly noted.

“It would be tough to go back to a desk job in finance again,” he said. “For better or worse, I am an entrepreneur for life now.

In this case, make that a successful entrepreneur with a big smile and clean teeth!