Angel Soft Toilet Paper is making its Super Bowl debut with a spot just before the half time show, encouraging viewers to take a break and hit the bathroom before the entertainment begins.
“We didn’t start this by saying we wanted to do a Super Bowl ad,” said Laura Knebusch, senior vice president, CPG Marketing and CX at Georgia-Pacific. “We started with the idea for to make the brand more part of culture and make Angel, our brand mascot, more iconic. The idea stemmed from this concept of ‘potty-tunities’ and the fact that things are getting longer – concerts, movies, sports events – and everyone’s bladders are not getting any bigger.”
Ninety-two percent of people are not going to the bathroom at a sporting event because they don’t want to miss out and almost a third of people actually plan out when they go to the bathroom during an event.
“There’s actually a real consumer tension around whether to go or not,” said Knebusch. “We picked this up first through social listening and consumer conversation. Then we validated it through quantitative research, which gave us key facts to understand that this is a true pain point. Once we identified that as a space where Angel Soft could play a role, the Super Bowl became the ultimate place to talk about it. It’s the biggest scenario where you don’t want to miss the game, the commercials or the halftime show. It felt like the perfect opportunity to introduce “potty-tunities” and bring it to life.”
Two years ago the brand launched a campaign called “Crafted in the Clouds,” which introduced their brand mascot Angel – the home of all things soft and strong. “Potty-tunities” is a specific activation that brings “Crafted in the Clouds.” The spot airs right before halftime. The brand confirmed through consumer research that this was a strategic time point in the game for a bathroom break.
“For us, what makes our Super Bowl ad great is that we actually don’t want you to watch it,” laughed Knebusch. “The whole point is that it’s different and unexpected. Hopefully, consumers will remember Angelsoft, but ultimately, we want them to take a bathroom break instead of staying glued to the screen.”
This is the brand’s first Super Bowl ad and Knebusch said the timing felt right because the campaign was already established and was experiencing some momentum. “We wanted to amplify our presence in culture, and this idea fit perfectly,” she added. “It’s critical to be part of cultural conversations and show up where consumers are in ways that make sense for the brand.”
In addition to the spot, the brand has built a full, integrated campaign that includes an integration with Fox, influencer partnerships, in-store activations and digital campaigns that all culminate at the Super Bowl.
“This effort is about long-term impact,” explained Knebusch. “Of course, we hope for short-term results, but we’re focused on driving long-term success. It was a combination of where the business is, where the brand is, and the opportunity in front of us.”
