Whether it’s the hassle, crippling fear, or simply the thought of someone elbow-deep in your mouth, nobody looks forward to dental work, let alone a simple checkup. That’s the challenge every dentist faces. And when you add increasing competition, it’s no wonder their appointment schedules aren’t always full. Which is what brought Gentle Dentistry owner Henry F. Evans to Anderson Mraz Design – and why AMD’s creative team responded with a series of print ads that tackled the problem head-on.

“New patient numbers were trending downward,” explained AMD principal and creative director CK Anderson. “And while some of that was due in part to a tough economy – especially in Stevens County – we also felt that people simply didn’t understand the quality of care that Gentle Dentistry offered.”

The ads, a series of six running concurrently in two area newspapers, reinforce the broad range of care offered, as well as point to Dr. Evans’s distinctive credentials. (He’s one of only 12 dentists in the world to have achieved mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry and accreditation in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.) The simple, colorful ads – which play off the practice’s logo, also designed by AMD – eschew the traditional photographic approach in favor of direct, benefit-driven messaging.

“AMD worked with me throughout the process: identifying my goals, developing ad designs and messaging I can be proud of, and working out a publishing schedule that made sense,” said Dr. Evans. “And I’m already seeing measurable results.”