Monday, August 17, 2015

Leave Nothing Behind

Wow, Cottonelle, I'm not sure this is going to get you more sales:


This full-page ad, seen in Entertainment Weekly magazine, seems off in a number of ways.

  1. The idea that a particular texture of toilet paper would make it possible to "leave nothing behind on your behind" is a bit odd. Does anyone believe that?
  2. Even if their CLEANRIPPLE® texture does have that property, is that really what anyone thinks about when buying toilet paper, or why someone might become brand-loyal to a toilet paper?
  3. The tag line, Go Cottonelle Go Commando, combined with the saucy look on the model's face,  is just trying too hard.
  4. And finally, this is a half-hearted use of an "ethnic" model. Way to find a younger cousin of Rachel Dolezal (remember her?).
Sounds like the campaign is part of a strategy to shake up Cottonelle's third-place sales in the toilet paper marketplace, by co-opting young buyers into thinking the old brand is hip to their pantslessness. Old fuddy-duddies like me are not part of it, according to USA Today:
Executives at Cottonelle realize some folks will be grossed-out by the ads, but not many, says O'Connor. The brand tested it with more than 100 consumers for their reactions and "the percentage who felt it was gross was just 2% to 3%," she says.
They also hope it will get people talking, so I guess I have fallen for that. Oh, well.

5 comments:

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

I can tell you don't watch television. They use the same theme, but with interviews with supposed "real people" who try the product and then decide to go commando. They use a spokesmodel with a British accent--I guess she is supposed to class it up.

Gina said...

I've seen the TV ads too - some nights they're in heavy rotation. I'm sick of them. Frankly, I do not see any advantage to "going commando" in this situation or any other, unless you work in a certain kind of street occupation. The primary benefit of the ads is that the consumer will be CLEAN after using Cottonelle. Not sure I'd have written this kind of copy to express that benefit.....

Daughter Number Three said...

I noticed in the USA Today article that they are running TV ads with actors with British accents, but you're right, I haven't seen them. This print ad (which is probably meant to support the TV ads the audience is assumed to have seen a hundred times) was my first exposure.

Alwayslove24 said...

If you think that this is a half-hearted use of an ethnic model then you are not aware that black people come in all different shades. For example, I have the same skin complexion and hair texture as this model and both of my parents are African American. You shouldn't be so quick to judge people. Rachel Dolezal is a whole different issue. This woman isnt pretending to be something that shes not.

Daughter Number Three said...

Alwayslove24, I'm pretty aware that black people come in all different shades. It's not the model I'm judging, but the people who decide which models to use. I'm glad this particular woman got some work, but the reasons she was chosen (it seems to me) have at least something to do with her representing "diversity" but not representing it too much.