When tissue giant and forest destroyer Kimberly-Clark launched a $100 million advertising blitz for its Cottonelle brand, activists were there to greet them on the first day.
The set-up was as silly as it was expensive: Cottonelle paid for a strange-looking dog-bus filled with public relations folks to tour New York City and urging people to “be kind to your behind.” This, apparently, was supposed to sell toilet paper.
But things don’t always go smoothly when you are selling products that destroy ancient forests. Before long, people began asking Cottonelle reps tough questions about the Boreal forest, recycled fiber and other issues they’d rather ignore. Cottonelle’s day spiraled down the drain from there.
Activists unfurled a banner in front of the creepy dog-bus and told passersby how Kimberly-Clark products like Cottonelle and Kleenex drive the destruction of ancient forests. People learned that Cottonelle contains no recycled content, but plenty of wood fiber from the Canadian Boreal forest – the last great ancient forest in North America. They learned that the Boreal forest is crucial for efforts to fight global warming, critical habitat for caribou, songbirds and bears, and important to Canada’s native First Nations. They also learned Kimberly-Clark could make Cottonelle from recycled fiber and sustainable wood, but favors spending cash on butt-themed advertising campaigns and greenwashing.
Suddenly, Cottonelle didn’t seem very “kind” to forests, the climate or people. Folks on the street agreed to keep Cottonelle far from their behinds. After all, there are plenty of quality tissue products that are forest friendly. Click here for a list of products in the United States and here for tissue products available in Canada.
New York City commuters have expressed disgust over Cottonelle’s toilet-themed ads that literally line the interior of subway cars with headlines like “Too Much Bran?” and “The Average Man Keeps His Underwear Until the Elastic Breaks.” Those are topics most people would rather not think about when squeezed into subways with thousands of strangers.
Throwing Cottonelle’s adolescent attempts at bathroom humor back at them, activists donned boxer briefs with slogans such as “Be Kind to Forests” and “Leave Cottonelle Behind.” Onlookers were amused -- even the famous Times Square “Naked Cowboy” got into the spirit, posing for photos holding a pair of shorts encouraging folks to "Leave Cottonelle Behind."
When the day was over, forest defenders left behind literature on Cottonelle tour vehicles (printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper of course) to educate their public relations staff. Click here to see photos of the day.
The Cottonelle toilet paper dog-bus is scheduled to tour cities in the US and Canada for next few months, including Philadelphia, Chicago, Toronto and San Francisco. Here’s how you can help:
1. Keep your eyes out for Cottonelle ad blitzes and the mutant dog-bus! Let us know if you spot the bus or think it is coming to your town.
2. If you see the bus, stop by and talk to Cottonelle reps (in a respectful manner, of course) about their role in ancient forest destruction. Tell them you, your family and your friends won’t buy Cottonelle, Kleenex, or other Kimberly-Clark products until the company protects ancient forests.
3. Download and print our full or half sheet flyers to spread the word about Cottonelle and forest destruction (you’ll need Adobe Reader).
