Meegan said that Curiosity gets the Dude Wipes aesthetic and that the relationship has blossomed over the last year.
“To get the most potential out of our brand and any of our partnerships, the partner has to dive two feet in and get into the bathroom humor, brashness and all. Not all partners are willing to do that with us, but Curiosity has. So that’s why we are so excited for these campaigns to go live,” said Meegan.
Curiosity creative director Matt Cragnolin added that the leaders at Dude Wipes set the tone for irreverent but sophisticated humor about wiping butts.
“Our relationship with the Dudes (yes, we call them that) has been solid, trusting and full of laughs and fun since day one. They’re passionate entrepreneurs who also happen to be genuinely great individuals … We just took their lead. That’s the kind of client you want,” Cragnolin told Adweek.
Cragnolin said that going for the ’80s theme in the hero spot made sense for the rising brand because the ads of that time were enthusiastic and upbeat.
“You could make a whole spot about people raising their hands because their pits were fresh, and they knew it. Literally every single scene could be people just lifting up their arms with unbridled enthusiasm … The jingles that accompanied these spots didn’t hold back either. Those singers really went for it. Everything was excellent, and all because of a product,” he said.
Building awareness and grabbing a new consumer
Meegan said that the campaign’s goals are to build brand awareness and bring in many new customers to Dude Wipes.
“We would like to increase our household penetration and our market share in the $13 billion toilet paper category. If we accomplish those things, we will be meeting our ultimate goal of enlightening Americans that Dude Wipes get you completely clean, unlike dry toilet paper after taking care of your business, which will change your life,” said Meegan.
Overall, the adult wipes category has only 34% household penetration in the U.S. The brand hopes to remove any stigma men may feel about using flushable wipes and educate consumers on dry toilet paper’s shortcomings. Research from Curiosity, which handles strategy in addition to creative for the brand, reveals that many men lack confidence regarding the cleanliness of their rear ends, so Dude Wipes has an opportunity to gain market share.
Dude Products, the parent company of Dude Wipes, was founded in 2011 by Meegan, Sean Riley and Jeff Klimkowski, three college friends whose mutual diets of burritos and booze sent them seeking a better, more “dude-sized” bathroom alternative to baby wipes. The next year they began selling packaged single-use DUDE Wipes out of their Chicago apartment. By 2014, they had turned their home business into a small DTC enterprise, and in 2015, they took to Shark Tank, where they secured an investment and partnership from Cuban. Today, Dude is currently retailing over $100 million dollars annually.
Cragnolin hopes that the campaign hits the right tone—a cheeky, legitimately enthusiastic celebration of butt hygiene.
“I hope when people see this work, it makes them smile. Or better yet, laugh. Or better yet, try some Dude Wipes. And I hope that, even though presented in a funny way, the point is clear: Wet beats dry, pants down,” said Cragnolin.