- Elaine Wong

Procter & Gamble is taking its latest toothbrush to the catwalk.

Models clad in pajamas will show off the Oral-B Pulsonic toothbrush on the runway during New York Fashion Week next month. The battery-powered, rechargeable brush hits stores in September.

The new product is geared towards consumers who are both health- and fashion-conscious. Tagline: "Sonic technology in our slimmest form."

"The Oral-B Pulsonic is meant to look great in your bathroom" while delivering the benefits of clean teeth, said P&G rep Elizabeth Ming.

P&G has tapped Extreme Makeover's Michael Maloney as the spokesperson for the brush. As part of P&G's sponsorship of Style360 (a gathering of design professionals during Fashion Week), Maloney will also create the "Ultimate Fashionista's Bathroom," to be featured near the runway.

Ads running in the October editions of Elle and Allure play up the brush's size. "So slim, it makes your bathroom feel bigger," one ad reads. Online and in-store marketing support. Publicis, New York, managed the print ads; Digitas, New York, handled interactive.

The inspiration for the brush rose from company research. P&G found that while some consumers were skeptical of a brush's technological capabilities, others liked the added benefit, but not the bulky shape.

"This group of consumers want it all-form and function," said Amanda Clark, brand manager for Oral-B Power.

Oral-B's slim size is part of an ongoing trend towards smaller electronics, said James Gregory, CEO, Corebrand, New York. "This is a very good example of something that's just really high-tech in an area you wouldn't really expect."

The Pulsonic will compete with Philips' FlexCare. Introduced last year, the brush's head is about the size of a manual toothbrush, and the handle is 30% smaller when compared with the company's Sonicare Elite.

While touting oral care as fashionable is somewhat of a stretch, Gregory said, P&G's success hinges on how it executes the project. "Oral care is not a high-interest category. It's not something people are looking for or think is cool. If it comes off as hokey or just an obvious attempt to commercialize the brush, it won't work."

P&G spent $35 million on the launch of the Oral-B Triumph in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Overall, the company spent $101 million advertising its Oral-B line last year and $14 million through May of this year.