2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

Clorox was launching their new disinfecting on-the-go wipes, our insight was based around the unarguable fact that people do not like to go into public toilets. They are worried about how clean and sanitary the surfaces are. With a billboard placed next to a public toilet in a popular hiking destination, we were able to engage with our target audience (people who needed to use this toilet, and had no other option) at the exact moment when they would desperately need to use our product. Because with Clorox disinfecting wipes, you really can go anywhere.

Background

To prove that with the disinfecting power of Clorox you really can go anywhere, we tackled the most stressful of sanitary situations. The roadside toilet. Everyone has faced the same situation, you’re on a long road trip and suddenly you really have to go. The only options are usually less than clean, leading to the age-old question of ‘to go, or not to go.’ But when you carry Clorox On-the-go wipes the situation isn’t so worrying anymore. We wanted to get people engaging with our brand to take a free sample, so they can have the confidence to go anywhere.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

In our research we found that when people are out and about, they go to extreme lengths to avoid public toilets, even when they really have to go. When they do use a toilet, they have a serious aversion to touching restroom surfaces, including faucets, soap dispensers and toilet handles. This feeling of discomfort in a public toilet was an excellent insight, and led to our creative idea to find a public toilet in a remote and popular destination to demonstrate the disinfecting power of Clorox. This would create a realistic scenario where people would really need to use the Clorox On-The-Go wipes to disinfect the area. We scouted for the perfect location in the very popular hiking destination in the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah, and found a real toilet that is well-used and had a lot of footfall.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

In the media landscape for disinfecting brands it’s difficult to cut through the noise with a traditional media plan, especially when the competition has deeper pockets. This is why we decided to go bold, and grab attention in an unexpected way, in an unexpected location, with an unexpected media - a billboard. This approach was a confident way to raise awareness and strengthen the brand message of #TrustClorox. This was the first phase of a platform to build Clorox’s market position as the most trustworthy disinfecting product. Our target audience was people travelling around, whether hiking, on road trips, or going to the mall. To demonstrate why people need our product, we found a place with the only toilet in a 52km radius. Our billboard had a strong call to action, to take a sample, so next time they have to go they can use the disinfecting wipes.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

We found the only toilet in 52km, located in a busy hiking area, made even busier due to the time of the year. A place we knew would get a lot of public foot traffic. Here we built a billboard, right next to the toilet with the message “For when you really have to go”, and filled the billboard with free samples of Clorox disinfecting wipes. This became a unique media placement over several days, that caught the public’s attention and created engagement as they picked up the free samples to take home and use for the next time they are on the go.

List the results (30% of vote)

+200 engaged hikers +100 happy toilet users 100% of samples given away 1 very disinfected toilet