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Crest® Cavity Creeps: How IU Built Toothopolis

An online exhibition of Crest® toothpaste history and marketing

Crest® Cavity Creep Commercials

In the 1970s, the Zander Animation Studio and later Phil Kimmelman & Associates produced a series of animated commercials for Crest. The short cartoons highlighted a super-heroesque team, “The Crest Team”, who defended the city of “Toothopolis” from rampaging monsters known as “Cavity Creeps” using various Crest vehicles and weapons. The commercials primarily aired during Saturday morning cartoons and became cult classics to anyone that grew up around that time. This exhibition includes a collection of concept and production art, storyboards and animation cells that went into the production of these cartoons. The commercials were developed by comicbook artist Herb Trimpe, who did all of the concept art and character models for the Crest Team, the Cavity Creeps, and their environments. He most often remembered for his work at Marvel comics, particularly his run on The Incredible Hulk in the 1970s.