TLC’s T-Boz Adds Some CrazySexyCool Moves to Glad’s ‘Scent-stalgic’ Campaign

Trash day isn’t typically an occasion that conjures up nostalgic memories or inspires one to bust a move, but Glad’s latest campaign paying homage to the girl groups of the 90s and Y2K era while celebrating the launch of its newest trash bag scent hopes to invoke those feelings and more with a little help from one of the eras’ most famous faces.

To kick up some excitement for the Clorox Company brand’s new Pine-Sol scented ForceFlex Scented Trash Bags, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins—aka the “T” from the iconic girl group, TLC—joined its “Scents That Take You Back” campaign to flex her dance muscles and show fans on social media how to dispose of their waste with fragrant flair.

Created by FCB Chicago and produced by Landia, the campaign follows “The Glad Girl Group,” a fictional singing quartet inspired by TLC and other groups from the era. The spots contain segments of their “music video,” for an earworm touting the “scent-stalgia” conjured up by the smell of Pine-Sol, Gain and Febreeze products.

Four 15-second spots meticulously shot in the style of videos from the period feature the neon and metallic fabric-clad group dancing with the scented bags officially launched last month, with the full song, which includes lyrics such as “My pants are saggy, but this verse is tight,” available on the brand’s website.

To support the yearlong campaign, Glad launched a video on July 22 featuring Watkins doing choreography (or “bag-ography,” as they call it) developed by celebrity choreographer, Sean Bankhead, with the aromatherapeutic waste disposing prop. The video shared on TikTok and Instagram, also announced a sweepstakes awarding a winner and their guest with an all-expense-paid trip to see TLC on tour with another popular 90s-era artist, Shaggy, on Aug. 31, and receive custom merchandise curated by Watkins. The sweepstakes runs from July 22 through Aug. 7.

Before the video’s launch, the brand hosted a private event for media and influencers at the Forward Space dance studio in New York, where Watkins taught the routine (with scented bags in tow) and shared with the group her connection to the brand and how thrilled she was to get the call to partner with Glad.

“Even before I got the call, I was looking at the commercial, and I wanted to jump in [the screen] because it reminded me of ‘No Scrubs,’” Watkins told ADWEEK, referring to TLC’s smash hit song and video. “So, it took me back to my career and the 90s with the metallic hat on and the energy.”

The campaign’s theme of using fragrance and music to transport users back in time resonated strongly with the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actress, who not only paid tribute to her early days in music but also to her mother, who she says used Gain and is the reason she presently uses the brand.

A fresh approach

To Glad, the campaign —which was initially conceived to launch the brand’s new Pine-Sol scent nationally following an exclusive yearlong partnership with Dollar General but expanded to include its other scent offerings—marks a fresh approach to a traditionally stale category like household waste solutions, one that is hitting the right note for consumers.

“It’s a departure for the Glad brand because typically we tend to rely on things like ‘Power’ claims, and it’s a little bit more head than heart,” Carrie Rathod, head of marketing for Glad, told ADWEEK. “We just want to lift people’s hearts a little bit, and, of course, take them back to that time.”

She added, “We just had so much fun creating the campaign and we’re excited that consumer feedback is like ‘Omigosh, I love this brand! I never thought I’d be seen by a trash bag company.’ That’s exactly what you want.”

Of partnering with Watkins for the social push and sweepstakes, Rathod says the brand’s mission was to “provide messaging that entertains and rewards people for watching.”

The brand is going all in on the campaign, which Rathod confirmed is a 360 campaign that includes PR efforts from MullenLowe, ecommerce, social, traditional and digital advertising, adding “We’re doubling down in the mediums that celebrate dance where that music part of the scent-stalgia can get people more receptive to it.”

Glad is the latest brand to tap into the 90s and Y2K nostalgia trend, joining brands including Gap and Target, which have recently amplified their marketing efforts inspired by the era to connect with consumers.