Bathroom Ad Winners Bathrooms have been around for so long that it takes truly creative advertisers to present them in such a way that they seem fresh and new. Fortunately, many advertisers are up to the task. Creative bathroom ads may advertise much more than bathrooms. Bathroom ads can resonate with the audience in a special way:
- The Ski Jump Toilets ad: Using the bathroom lacks majesty, but it can be fun to imagine that there is anyway. Looking down from the toilet and imagining a ski slope is certainly memorable, and just might be better than a magazine, as the ad demonstrates.
- The ‘What Your Hands’ ad: Some people may wish more people wore labels warning you about hand washing statistics. Having a ‘standup’ of a person in a public bathroom that is advertising the same thing is a start. Everyone has heard about the necessity of hand washing after using a restroom, and yet the rule is still violated on a regular basis. Creative bathroom ads may just provide the shock some people need.
- The Save the Trees Awareness ad: Anyone who’s been in a public bathroom and found seemingly dozens of barely used towels on the floor can appreciate the sentiment behind this advertisement. Socially useful advertisements tend to require good visual demonstrations. Imagining the trees disappearing as you empty the towel holder can certainly do the trick. The image of trees on a towel dispenser, with the number of trees vanishing over the course of three shots, can make all the difference conceptually.
- The ESPN ad: The image a soccer field in a urinal could certainly stick with anyone. Television networks must find new ways to advertise for themselves, and ESPN demonstrated its modesty in choosing this particular format
- The Schizophrenia Awareness ad: Advocating for the mentally ill can work even more effectively when people who are more neurologically typical are encouraged to get inside their heads. Everyone has washed their hands at a public bathroom and regarded their own reflection in the process. Imagining going about that everyday process and seeing a second person in the mirror is a shock to anyone. Indeed, schizophrenia is manageable, and it is important to remind the general public of that fact in a way that really speaks to them. Reaching them where they live, which includes the bathroom, can work.
- The WWF Tree Toilet roll ad: If a picture is worth a thousand words, that goes triply for anything related to public service announcements. The World Wildlife Fund’s ad, which features a log replacing a toilet roll, could resurface in your memory each time you use a public bathroom.
- The Natan Jewelry Shop ad: The juxtaposition of jewelry stores and bathroom ads is unexpected, to say the least. A picture of a necklace pasted on a mirror, so women can add the necklace to their reflection as they see it, is a creative form of advertising in real life and otherwise
Tauseef Hussain is a media blogger and writes for QS Cloakrooms, the on-line store for designer basins and WC’s Set. You can interact with Tauseef on twitter @usef4u and follow QS Supplies on twitter @qssupplies