Another spot explores the feeling post-poop relief, showing a man dancing to a funky soundtrack in a public toilet.
Directed by lauded commercials director Andreas Nilsson, there’s no voiceover on the films—just a tagline, “Get Comfortable,” accompanied by the Andrex logo.
From puppies to purpose
With many “red flag” warning symptoms for bowel issues—from Crohn’s disease to cancer and colitis—first showing up in toilet habits, Stone hopes that opening up the conversation will help “close the embarrassment gap” and “save lives” in the process.
The films are supported by a nationwide series of billboard and newspaper ads featuring standout visuals and headlines such as “Live Unclenched” and “Conquer the first Office Poo,” designed to get people to question their inhibitions around toileting.
In using humor to address the toilet stigma head-on, Stone believes the resulting ads will be “audaciously disarming,” and make the brand a more purposeful one in people’s lives.
“If you ever want a challenge as a marketer, come and work in a category that people actively avoid,” he laughed, “because it forces you to really think about how to get your message out there and tackle [big] topics.”
Stone added, “We wanted to disarm this topic so it’s no longer uncomfortable. Humor is one of the best ways to do that, especially in British culture.”
Being funny can pay off for brands. According to Kantar research, humor in advertising has been declining since roughly 2000. However, a separate 2022 study from Oracle found that 90% of people were more likely to remember a brand’s ad more if it was funny, while 48% said they didn’t feel they had a relationship with a brand unless it made them smile or laugh.