Bathroom Blogfest '08 - Advertising

P&G Charmin Toilet Paper 1957-2007 originally uploaded by
Roadsidepictures. Do check out the photo's commentary.
Bathroom Blogfest '08 - Cleaning Forgotten Spaces Around Us is coming to an end. My last topic is Advertising. It's a rich one!

Particularly as it relates to toilet paper.

Did you know that there exists a website dedicated to the History of Toilet Paper filled with fascinating detail and trivia? I hadn't.

More than in the past, I've noticed this year many advertising and public relations campaigns relating to toilet paper. Brands like Charmin, Cottonelle and Scott....

Take the Charmin PottyPalooza in Times Square, NYC. Did you know that in 2007, this was the site for a wedding? And, that the bride wore a toilet paper wedding dress? Here's the winner of the 2008 cheap-chic-weddings.com toilet paper wedding dress contest - which took two years to create. Amazing what's possible!

From PRWeek, the results of the Charmin Wedding [login required] consisted of the following: "The press was absorbed by the wedding, with 350 million impressions over two days.." and amazing online visibility. "On a larger scale, in 2007, more than 400,000 people flushed Charmin's toilets" [note that they included Kohler water-conserving toilets and faucets] for "...820 million media hits over six weeks." Not bad!

I hope that Plush Potties return to NYC for the 2008 Holiday season. In the meantime, there's a national tour taking place...

This all makes a bit more sense when you realize, as USA Today explains in a 1/9/2008 article titled Marketers take toilet paper to luxurious new levels by Laura Petrecca, that toilet paper sales in 2007 generated over $3.7 billion. No wonder that the different brands have decided to roll out marketing campaigns promoting benefits ranging from super-soft comfort, strength and absorbency, to extra cleaning and kids products.

Cottonelle, for example, has launched "be kind to your behind" this past March, complete with fuzzy, puppy-like touring bus. For a full appreciation of the campaign, do read Leigh Duncan-Durst's Cottonelle On Crack (Literally!). I think you'll agree that this one went overboard... The website irritated me with its puppy dog voice commentary.

Scott Tissue has gotten into the act with the Scott Tissue Clog Clinic to "make the issue of toilet paper dissolvability a newsworthy issue while elevating it as an important purchase consideration." The program earned an Honorable Mention / Ketchum and Kimberly-Clark: SCOTT Flushability from PR Week for developing a "strong campaign drawing awareness around a subject not often talked about."

While on the topic of toilet paper, I couldn't help but notice Dan Schawbel's Personal Branding Blog posting titled Become a Top Brand Using a Single Roll of Toilet Paper in reference to Mike Michalowicz's new book, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Practical, down-to-earth, actionable, and very focused. Who would have thought?

Although not directly related to toilet paper, Kris Hoet shares a brilliant example using public toilets in a Hamburg nightclub to promote exclusive thriller films on the 13th street channel. See his post titled 13th Street. What do you think?

Finally, AdAges' Ken Wheaton refers to an Extended Stay America Hotels viral marketing campaign promoting the cleanliness of its facilities in Extended Stay ad toilet-licking good! (And totally gross). Yikes! Yes, memorable, but frightening it its associations.

Whatever your subject and area of expertise and passion, make sure your communications are consistent with what you represent in the marketplace. Be memorable, but be true to your brand position. Tackle difficult subjects in a way relevant to your customers. And, always remember that your customer's experience matters more than anything else.

If you can't, then your advertising is best forgotten and cleaned out.

The latest posts include:
+ Can you believe it? It's time for Bathroom Blogfest '08 from Sandy Renshaw
+ From Julie Hirt at Kohler Talks, learn about The "Other" Jo The Plumber
+ From Christine Loose at Kohler Talks, Wine Corks to Clean Cast Iron Sinks
+ From Iris, Bathroom Blogfest 2008 Best Tips
+ From the Carpetology Blog, Bathroom Blogfest '08 - Recap

Visit the Bathroom Blogfest Community [BBC] for Bathroom Blogfest ’08 updates:
Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroads
Katia Adams at Transcultural Marketing
Shannon Bilby at Floor Talk!
Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop
Jo Brown and the blogging team at Kohler Talk
Lisbeth Calandrino at Lisbeth Calandrino
Sara Cantor at The Curious Shopper
Becky Carroll at Customers Rock!
Katie Clark at Practical Katie
Iris Shreve Garrott at Circulating
Ann Handley at Annarchy
Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution
Elizabeth Hise and C.B. Whittemore at The Carpetology Blog
Maria Palma at Customers Are Always
Sandra Renshaw at Purple Wren
Kate Rutter at Adaptive Path
Claudia Schiepers at Life and its little pleasures
Carolyn Townes at Becoming a Woman of Purpose
Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology
C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer

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