The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Minda Smiley, Reporter

April 14, 2016 | 2 min read

While toilet paper brands are often flush with creativity in ads, it’s not often that one sees an eye-catching ad for toilets themselves.

But Kohler might be the one to change that. To promote its elaborate “dual-flush” Veil Intelligent toilet that features things like an “automatic deodorization system” and a “heated seat with adjustable temperature settings,” the home fixtures company has rolled out a tongue-in-cheek spot that features robots who stumble across this toilet at a human’s house-warming party and become fascinated by its futuristic design.

Created by DDB Chicago, the spot is part of Kohler’s ongoing ‘Never Too’ campaign that shows off the brand’s “forward-thinking design solutions” and is targeted towards “today’s style enthusiasts.”

In the spot, a robot couple attend a housewarming party and appear to be bored by the lame jokes and dance moves of the human guests. But when they discover the Veil Intelligent toilet inside the bathroom, they decide to congregate in there with other robots and marvel at its features. One robot even snaps a quick selfie with the Veil.

Jean Batthany, executive creative director at DDB Chicago, said that the agency wanted to highlight the technological advancements of the toilet in a way that would intrigue viewers but also make them laugh.

“We did want to tell a tech story and a beautiful story, but we wanted to make sure we weren’t sacrificing the brand personality because ultimately it is a toilet ad, and we didn’t want it to come off like we didn’t understand that,” Batthany noted. “It’s a high-end luxury product from the price point, so we definitely needed the execution to feel rich and progressive, but also not take ourselves so seriously.”

Aside from the TV spot, additional executions will include print and digit elements, along with an online interactive experience starring a robot guide that will take viewers on a tour of the Veil’s features.

DDB Chicago

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