Tooth-ally Awesome
Texas Tech Health El Paso Grins and Wins Big with International Honors for the 'Teeth Rex-stravaganza'
A pearly whites’ tale of dental delight that turned smiles into two acclaimed marketing medals!
In the lively corridors of the Hunt School of Dental Medicine's Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic, a seven-foot Raider-red dinosaur playfully imparts a quirky piece of wisdom: “You don't have to brush all of your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.”
This whimsical proclamation sets the tone for an unconventional and engaging approach to oral health, where dental wisdom meets a dash of humor in the form of a towering, friendly companion.
It’s this highly original approach that captured the attention of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). An international nonprofit association dedicated to supporting and championing education as a transformer of lives and societies, CASE bestowed two awards upon Texas Tech Health El Paso for their novel marketing campaign named "Teeth Rex." The creative campaign to improve pediatric oral health received the international Circle of Excellence Bronze Medal and the regional Best of CASE District IV award.
The Teeth Rex campaign began as an initiative by the Hunt School of Dental Medicine to raise awareness for the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic and advocate for children's dental care. In response, the creative minds of Institutional Advancement conceived a friendly dinosaur with a youthful spirit, poised to befriend children and alleviate their fears of the dentist.
“Winning these prestigious CASE awards is a testament to the innovative ways our team can touch lives,” said Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., vice president for Institutional Advancement. “I’m very proud of our team and their dedication to serving both the university and our community.”
Teeth Rex, inspired by the legendary Tyrannosaurus Rex, boasted skin in the gallant Raider Red colors of the Texas Tech University System. Wearing a T-shirt adorned with the cleverly transformed Texas Tech double-T logo into "TTeeth Rex," the character became a symbol of school spirit and a charming ambassador for pediatric dental health.
Led by Daphne Griffin, senior director of marketing for Institutional Advancement, the creative and communication teams collaborated to not only met the university's marketing needs but also left an indelible mark on the local community.
“This recognition is a testament to the extraordinary imagination of our creative and marketing teams,” said Daphne Griffin, senior director of marketing for Institutional Advancement. “This international recognition also validates their efforts to think outside the box and have fun with illustration and storytelling to underscore that even a friendly T-Rex with a double-T smile can inspire genuine change and excitement for essential pediatric oral health. The embrace of Teeth Rex by children across neighborhoods serves as a reminder that sometimes, playful solutions carry the most impactful messages.”
The team created a diverse array of Teeth Rex campaign content, including flyers, comic strips, a coloring book, social media graphics and a life-sized cutout. The campaign transcended the print and digital realm, manifesting in an inflatable Teeth Rex mascot, which graced dental clinics and special campus events, enchanting the hearts of both children and adults.
The prestigious CASE Circle of Excellence Bronze award, which included over 4,000 entries from 83 member nations, spotlighted Texas Tech Health El Paso’s exceptional achievements in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing. The regional Best of CASE District IV award came from over 260 member institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Since 2020, the university’s creative and communication teams have received a total of six CASE awards for creativity, including the Gold Award in 2021 for reimagining university marketing.
The Teeth Rex campaign exemplified the university's dedication to creativity and playfulness in conveying its mission. It showcased the myriad imaginative ways in which Texas Tech Health El Pasos can leave a lasting impact that improves lives within our Borderplex region.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.
Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.
With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.