Charmin: Making TP Cool Again
Picture source: Charmin
We need to talk about a household staple, one that’s been around since the 1800s: toilet paper. That’s right, that little roll we couldn’t live without, an everyday luxury. If there’s anything the Port Houston strike gave us in the last month, it’s a reminder of how precious toilet paper is in our lives! Not just as a modern-day necessity, but our festive little sidekick to make that wedding veil in the bar bathroom at the bachelorette party, the rolls we used to douse houses in as an innocent prank or the mummy costume we made out of TP when we didn’t have another on hand for Halloween. For us gals, this is the stuff of magic, the first to fill our bras — now, it’s the makeup remover we grab when we’ve run out of our cleanser. It’s safe to say we all have memories and uses of toilet paper that far exceed our bathroom walls, which leads us to the most notable brand behind it all, the company that reminds us to “Enjoy the Go:’ Charmin.
Y’all know Charmin! The stuff we trust. American-made; will never leave us in a port strike, pandemic or otherwise (we make sure of that in Texas as we clear the shelves each time temps drop below freezing). The rolls with the scalloped edges we ensure are hanging OVER that holder, because under just won’t do. A household name! As Charmin nears 100 years, RED VELVET took a little deep dive into our brand of choice and asked ourselves: How would we help Charmin celebrate? The experiential strategy on this one could go a myriad of ways, especially with a TP brand that already values this work, so we decided to step outside of the brand box for this one.
As it’s top of mind, we’ll start with Spooky Season. Picture a community experience — fun for young and old(er). Components could include a “pumpkin” patch, a maze, a house TP-ing competition and a Halloween costume contest, all using only Charmin. The main event? An ‘Enjoy the Glow’ haunted house playing off things that are scary to Charmin (and us, too):
Single-ply toilet paper hanging over you like creepy cloth
A wall of holders featuring rolls going under
Old rolls locked up in cabinets trying to escape
An abandoned porta potty without any TP
Weak sheets that rip easily (exemplified via monsters tearing through, of course)
Non-absorbent sheets attempting to clean a pool of blood
We’ll stop the scares there, for now. Rolls can be available to pull from as you “Wipe Your Screams” throughout the house. Charmin used to be a Halloween staple back when Mr. Whipple rode in on his broom — let’s bring that energy back for Charmin’s 100th Halloween!
Another installation idea that can be ready and waiting to poke fun after America’s next stock-up event: art sculptures made of toilet paper, a playful response to those who stock up on TP at the drop of a hat. The messaging writes itself, “Charmin Stock Art: Not enough tush for all the TP sheets? Turn them into art for the streets.” The artist could even sculpt 100 sheets for 100 years!
Then there’s our road show idea: an upscale traveling lavatory rooted in TP’s heritage. Style: Wes Anderson. Available to: any passerby on the streets of a major metropolitan area or festival. Before consumers step inside, they’re greeted with a menu of different Charmin products to choose from. A simple press of a button (think: champagne doorbell featured in “The Grand Budapest Hotel”), and suddenly their product of choice is served on a silver platter by Sir John Harington himself (okay, our best lookalike). Don’t we all wish we had that white-glove service at home when we notice all too late that the roll on the hook is empty? Giveaways could be that same button to hang in your guest bath. White-glove service not guaranteed, of course.
We had to stop ourselves from flushing out too many ideas before getting in front of the Charmin team, so Procter & Gamble, we’re talking to you: Charmin’s 100th is only a few years away. Let’s write a story that guest bathrooms will feature for its readers to enjoy for years to come! Embolden Charmin’s brand voice for the occasion. In doing so, Charmin will cultivate brand loyalty with a new generation of consumers while paying homage to generations past. What other toilet paper brand is doing that?