ANDREX WAS A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS
In the 134 years since toilet roll was introduced to the world, not much has changed about the product, or its marketing. In fact, Andrex established the status quo in the 1970’s with a template that’s been copied by toilet tissue brands around the world, and particularly in Andrex’s own market, the UK. The formula is simple: use a cute animal to symbolise your product's softness, while also providing a distraction from the reality of toilet tissue’s actual use.
Today, there are Koala bears, brown bears, panda bears, kittens, ducklings and other big eyed, fluffy animals being used to market a multitude of toilet tissue products. Despite these copycat brands being 30-90% cheaper, Andrex still dominated the category with over 30% market share in 2023. So, you’d be excused for thinking “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. But, with leadership comes great responsibility...
A MARKET LEADER HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS SHAREHOLDERS
With the rise of discounters, the proliferation of value brands, bulk purchasing and new direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels like TikTok shop, we couldn’t rely on Andrex’s 50-year-old formula to justify the brand’s price premium and sustain market share. We had a responsibility to the business to assert Andrex’s distinction, end category stagnation and increase Andrex’s market share. We needed to help people see a value in Andrex beyond its products’ functional benefits and beyond the affection people hold for the brand. This brings us to Andrex’s second responsibility…
A MARKET LEADER HAS A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO SOCIETY
We Brits have a “funny” relationship with our bodily functions: funny haha and funny strange. With endless “poo-phemisms” we’re the world heavyweight champions of toileting metaphors and humour. But the thing is, metaphor and toilet humour are used to mask our embarrassment about the most natural of bodily functions. And that’s strange - strange to the point of being unhealthy, or even fatal! From feeling too embarrassed to use public toilets, to being mortified about the idea of discussing our bowel health with doctors, our avoidant, masking behaviours are crippling us. We could no longer use the Andrex puppy as a means to distract from the reality of toilet tissue’s actual use, or we would continue to compound a societal issue.
UNCOVERING THE EXTENT OF BRITAIN’S SOCIAL CONSTIPATION
In 2022, we conducted in-depth research with a nationally representative base of adults: “Uncovering Britain’s Social Constipation”. What we revealed was both shocking and sadly recognisable.
62% of Brits think it’s embarrassing if people know they’re going for a poo.
47% of UK adults won't take a poo at work.
23 million won't poo in a public toilet.
“Shy Bowel” is a bigger UK phobia than Arachnophobia.
BRIT’S ARE DYING OF EMBARRASSMENT
Such is the disgust of what comes out of our own bodies, that 25% of us will actively avoid looking at our own poo. By not looking at our poo, we are missing out on what doctors will tell you is the best daily barometer of your health. At a basic level it offers insight into your diet, but it also offers markers of any stress and anxiety, and clearly identifiable signs of bowel cancer. Bowel cancer, yes, it’s scary, but if detected and treated during stage 1, your survival rate exceeds 90%. Yet, with 16,000 deaths a year, Brits’ survival rate from the disease is one of the worst in Europe. This brings us to the insight: Britain is so socially constipated, that it’s causing physical and mental health issues and even death. As market leader, we felt not just compelled, but duty-bound to disrupt that.
THE GOAL TO TRANSFORM BRITAIN’S TOILETING HABITS AND BOOST ANDREX’S MARKET SHARE
Our objectives for Andrex were twofold:
- Increase Andrex’s household penetration, sales and market share.
- Help people confront their relationship with toileting and adopt healthy toileting habits.
A STRATEGY TO HELP BRITAIN GET COMFORTABLE
Help: Britain
To: Get Comfortable with the topic and act of toileting
By: Subverting toilet humour and the role of the Andrex puppy to confront what’s natural, rather than mask it.
With this, our “Get Comfortable” platform was born…
USING RESEARCH TO INSPIRE CREATIVE
The statistics and insights from our “Uncovering Britain’s Relationship with Toileting” study, not only helped us understand the root of Britain’s social constipation, they provided relatable, authentic scenarios for our creative work.
For example, in VOD, “Office” reveals that 47% of us are too uncomfortable to poo at work, “Partner” reveals that 56% are too shy to poo at a romantic partner’s house, and “In-laws” reveals that 41% are afraid of pooing at their… in-laws.
TELLING IT LIKE IT IS
Clear and direct, we didn’t shy away from the word poo and used humorous headlines like “Live unclenched”, “Let it go”, “Poo like nobody is listening” and “Flush your inhibitions” to confront and disarm the nation’s toileting anxieties, rather than mask them.
TRANSFORMING THE ANDREX PUPPY INTO A TRIGGER OF CONFIDENCE
We evolved the puppy’s role from a metaphor for the product’s qualities, to being a trigger of confidence and positive action. In each AV asset, the puppy has a simple, but poignant interaction with each commercial’s protagonist – a knowing nod that says, “you got this”.
CONTEXTUALISING THE MESSAGE
Campaign deployment focused on the most relevant sites, including: a takeover of London Waterloo Station, home to Britain’s busiest toilets, as well as digivans outside Frozen the Musical with the “Let it go” execution and another in the City of London and other financial districts with the “Paid to Poo” execution. And to speak in the language of finance, “Paid to Poo” breaks down the financial benefit of pooing on company time.
BEING UNAVOIDABLE
From being a brand that had played safe for 50 years in a media schedule dominated by daytime TV, the “Get Comfortable” platform thrust Andrex in the face of the nation. Additional to spots in the UK’s biggest shows on linear and on-demand TV, the campaign spread across social and 40 monumental outdoor sites around the UK, such as full-takeover of Waterloo station and the iconic digital screens in Piccadilly Circus, as well as digivans parked up in contextually relevant locations around key cities.
RESULTS PROVING THAT WORK FOR GOOD, CAN ALSO BE GOOD FOR BUSINESS
Andrex’s retail sales increased by 12% (£3.2 million), In the first month vs same period in 2023
Household penetration grew for 3 consecutive months, adding nearly 250,000 new households.
Usage nearly doubled from 38% to 56%.
Market share grew from 30% to 34.5%.
From a brand that previously had no voice in culture, “Get Comfortable”:
Triggered 10m impressions on X.
Sparked 1694% increase in mentions across social platforms.
Increased search for the signs of bowel cancer by 122%.
Beyond the numbers, the campaign’s impact is perfectly represented by the following tweet from someone with stage 4 bowel cancer:
“This totally brilliant campaign from @Andrex_UK aims to get people talking about their toilet habits and removing the embarrassment. A change in mine was a key symptom in my diagnosis, but like many, too late to stop it spreading.”
