Dyson has released one of the most expensive toothbrushes in the world. The Dyson Camera Jet costs as much as a private jet in the toothbrush world, and this thing can now officially earn a spot on the "basic items at premium prices" shelf.
Dyson has released one of the most expensive toothbrushes in the world. The Dyson Camera Jet costs as much as a private jet in the toothbrush world, and this thing can now officially earn a spot on the "basic items at premium prices" shelf.
Jokes aside, let me note once again how boldly Dyson keeps moving into segments that had long seemed settled among a handful of established manufacturers. That's true of their hair styler, more commonly known as a hairdryer. As for agriculture, it's too early to talk about that — it's still a massive industrial undertaking. Dyson Farming is impressive, even if it ends up staying just a single fruit-growing facility.
The press release puts it nicely: we constantly forget to do what dentists tell us. We're lucky if we brush twice a day, and flossing is usually forgotten entirely. Now floss isn't needed, trips to the dentist become less frequent, and you can post photos of your teeth on Instagram. A fairy tale, and a great dinner-table topic for the Bobo generation. (Bourgeois Bohemians — a term coined by David Brooks.)
The Dyson Camera Jet itself looks like a spaceship. For a second you might even think you're holding a vacuum cleaner, but don't let the size scare you — after all, it packs a camera, water, a motor, and a battery all in one. And don't let that scare you either, because the brush removes 69% more plaque in hard-to-reach places than leading brushes. What do you make of this spaceship's strike on the market?
Also pay attention to the number of trademarks scattered throughout the press release, and to the patent on non-foaming toothpaste. It exists so the camera can actually see your teeth. Now if anyone wants to release a similar product, they'll have to pay to license the technology or invent their own.
Have you noticed how Dyson has expanded from the vacuum cleaner sector into cultivating not just industrial markets (things like hand dryers, etc.) but the consumer market too? And not just cultivating it, but doing so without aggressive marketing. And in recent years, without the kind of scandals that would flood our feeds. It's a good example of how a company with patents and technological advantages can move into a niche nobody expected, where it can easily create its own blue ocean — at least for a while.
The Dyson Camera Jet is yet another signal to the market that plenty of open niches remain. Now it's a question of shaping consumer demand. Who knows — maybe this year Santa's list will have a Dyson Camera Jet and a couple of tubes of non-foaming toothpaste on it too.