The Whitening Co. won this year’s Breakthrough Of The Year Award, presented by Pure Mama.
Who they are: Entrepreneur Kennedy Anderson and businessman Victor Green started their business to solve a problem: the lack of effective, reliable at-home teeth whitening kits.
Together with dental hygiene expert and managing director Ruby
Mills, the trio launched The Whitening Co. in 2019 – an Auckland-based, premium oral care brand. Starting out with at-home kits sold online, Anderson went on to open walk-in studios in Ponsonby and Whangārei, inspired by high-end day spas. Clients are given noise-cancelling headphones and access to streaming services, to help them relax completely during their treatments.
A nationwide partnership with appearance medicine chain The Cosmetic Clinic means The Whitening Co.’s services are available across the country.
The Whitening Co. is now stocked at Beauty By Life’s flagship stores in Westfield Newmarket in Auckland and Queensgate Mall in Wellington’s Lower Hutt.
What the judges said: “The Whitening Co. understands modern marketing better than most,” Beauty Awards judge Varsha Reddy, a beauty influencer and content creator, said.
“They have consistently delivered creative, consumer-focused campaigns that generate conversation, build trust, and keep the brand top of mind.”
What our beauty editor said: “What truly sets The Whitening Co. apart is its monumental online presence,” Viva beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti. “At the time of publishing, The Whitening Co. had 23.3K followers on Instagram, and more than 70,000 Likes on TikTok.
“The secret to its virality? Regular partnerships with creator and influencers, interactive campaigns that allows its community to have a say on new products or whitening strip flavours, as well as clever performance marketing that keeps audiences coming back for more.”
What the brand said: “Winning this award means way more to me than I thought,” a tuxedo-clad Kennedy Anderson told Viva, after receiving his award at the gala evening, accompanied by his fiancé and business partner, Oliver Tyack.
“It’s my favourite category specifically because I don’t think I could have dreamed of being recognised for the hard work that went into the last year, when it’s been really hard for a lot of businesses.”
Anderson and Tyack returned to the stage later at the gala after receiving the most votes from Viva readers in the People’s Choice category.
What to buy: As well as at-home whitening kits, the business now offers additional products, including whitening toothpaste, UV sterilisers, electric toothbrushes and more.
More Viva Beauty Awards 2026
Meet all the winners from this year’s Viva Beauty Awards 2026; go behind-the-scenes with our judging panel; and learn about other leading brands who took out the top prizes below.