Cushelle’s Kenny the Koala Gets Brits to Enjoy Some Selfishly Soft ‘You-Time’

Publicis London has unveiled a new creative platform for one of the UK’s best-loved toilet tissue brands, Cushelle, along with new creative work, Selfishly Soft. The platform aims to empower the nation to put themselves first and allow a little luxury, starting with the superior toilet experience that they truly deserve.

Research from Publicis London revealed that while 84% of people in the UK and Ireland cherish a moment of ‘me-time’*, the demands of life can often get in the way. Whether it’s a boss, partner, kids, teachers or pets, people frequently give their time, energy, and resources to others.

Selfishly Soft taps into this insight, poking fun at Brits’ tendency to always put others first with a reminder that there’s still one sanctuary where they can claim some precious ‘me-time’ – the bathroom.

The campaign gives shoppers permission not to compromise on quality and to embrace a little selfishness. It's like buying the nice biscuits as a treat, only instead it’s one of the softest toilet papers on the market.

At the centre of the campaign, spanning TV, VOD, and social, is a 60-second hero spot, supported by 30, 20, 10, and 6 second edits which show the characters sneaking off for a moment of me-time in the bathroom, each with their prized roll of Cushelle Quilted.

From escaping to watch a spoof reality TV show, ‘House Husbands of Alaska,’ to sneaky breaks at the office, each character rightly finds their own Selfishly Soft moment with Cushelle.

However, the characters aren’t entirely alone. They are joined by Cushelle’s mascot, Kenny the Koala, who takes on a speaking role for the first time in 14 years. Kenny, ever the cuddly yet cheeky character, is the ultimate self-care advocate. He’s an expert in putting himself first and cheering on the campaign’s stars for the doing the same.

Directed by three-time BAFTA nominated director Jim Archer and produced by MindsEye, the film will run from 29th July to 15th September.

Noel Bunting, chief creative officer, Publicis London, said, “No one equates a little me-time in the toilet with a talking koala, but they do now. I love the sharpness of the insight, and it feels like the right moment to give people permission to be selfish. Because if you can’t enjoy the softest toilet paper when you have rare moment to yourself, what can you enjoy?”

Martina Poulopati, global marketing and communications director, Essity, added, “Cushelle is one of our most distinctive brands, Kenny the koala has been its no1 fan for years. Watching him speak and take on an even cheekier role, as we introduce our softest ever Cushelle Quilted, has been as much fun to make, as we hope it will be for people to watch. At a time when the demand for humour in advertising globally is increasing, so is the data on the effectiveness of humour in driving sales. I love that this campaign makes people laugh without compromising on our unmissable superiority message – right down to our 10 and six second ads.”

Selfishly Soft launches as Publicis London and leading global health and hygiene company Essity, the company behind Cushelle, celebrate their 15-year anniversary as creative partners. This long-term partnership has helped support the significant business growth of Essity’s Consumer Tissue business, which has increased 3.5 times to approximately 1.5 million Euros over the course of the relationship. It is now no.one in Europe and has a market share more than twice the size of the second largest player. Publicis London also work across Essity brands Jobst, Lotus, Zewa, Familia, Regio, Tork, Actimove and Leukoplast.