We created a new media vehicle – the pre-commercial – using the 10 seconds leading into the commercial break to let people know that the commercial break is coming, and produced 2 executions “Pit Stop” and “Enjoy the Go,” running on Lifetime & VH-1. This new vehicle merged context and content and helped consumers understand that Charmin makes going to the bathroom more enjoyable by giving the gift of a break. We understood that this brief, simple medium (no voice-over, no music) required that we leverage what have become our key assets: the iconic Charmin Bears. By using them, we were able to be direct in talking about going to the bathroom in a charming and inoffensive way.

The pre-commercials met or exceeded our objectives in ARS and Nielsen IAG research. In ARS, “makes going to the bathroom more enjoyable” scores were commensurate with a :30 (85% for “Pit Stop” and 83% for “Enjoy the Go”). In-market, the pre-commercials scored Brand Linkage at 74% of a :30 and Purchase Interest Shift scored at 82% of a :30. Brand Opinion shifted at or above par with P&G Sponsorship (12%), Nielsen Bath Tissue Branded Entertainment (57%) and Household Products Norms (64%). As time went on during airings, Brand Opinion and Purchase Interest continued to rise, peaking in the final week.