Tend rapidly expanded its brick-and-mortar footprint from NYC to Boston, DC, and nashville, entering a new chapter scaling into new competitive regional markets.
This effort marked Tend’s first large-scale, multi-region Out-of-home campaign. We needed to introduce the brand to entirely new audiences while reinforcing credibility in existing neighborhoods (and do it in a way that felt bold, confident, and unmistakably Tend.)
sr. designer
erica mccarthy, creative director
tj difrancisco, copy
natalie nardello, jr. designer
Build brand awareness quickly in new markets
Drive appointment bookings for pre-opening and newly launched studios
Strategically, the work needed to translate Tend’s modern, human approach to dentistry into large-scale physical environments while functioning as a cohesive 360 system across OOH, paid and organic social, and CTV.
The campaign began with the development of three distinct creative concepts, presented to cross-functional stakeholders. Through collaborative review, we aligned on the “Dental Confessions” concept which balanced humor, relatability, and scalability across regions.
The campaign was built on a simple, relatable truth: most people would rather do almost anything than go to the dentist. until tend moves to the neighborhood, that is.
We brought that insight to life through a series of location-specific, tongue-in-cheek “dental confessions.” Each headline tapped into seasonal pet peeves, local cultural groans, and everyday annoyances, positioning Tend as the unexpected alternative.
To support the range of copy executions, we developed a flexible, graphic design system that felt bold and instantly legible in high-traffic OOH environments. Large-scale typography, confident color, and minimal distraction allowed the message to land quickly while creating a cohesive visual language that extended seamlessly across social and CTV.
the design process focused on building a system flexible enough to support a wide range of placements and formats. This included:
A comprehensive brand color exploration optimized for large-format print and high-visibility environments
Layout testing across diverse OOH placements and aspect ratios
for digital: A brand photography audit to ensure supporting imagery aligned with the campaign’s tone and visual clarity
Color exploration for large-scale visibility
Design System Testing Across OOH Formats
