TITLE:

PooPaint: The world-first toilet paper designed for potty training

CAMPAIGN SUMMARY:

As kids grow out of diapers and need to potty train, it can be a tough time for them and the family. In Japan, this period is an added stress as parents rely on kindergarten for child care but are not confident of their kids’ ability in the bathroom. Added to this, Japan traditionally takes a quite draconian approach to this subject, making kids feel uncomfortable that they are not “doing it right.”

Enter the agency invention of PooPaint Toilet Paper—fusing a coloring book and toilet paper to create the world’s first paper that’s designed for toddlers to train themselves to clean up after doing a #2. While many would think of this as a taboo subject that should be disassociated from “learning through play,” a brave kindergarten took this innovative approach with resounding success.

THE BRIEF:

Japanese moms can become quite serious and stressed about potty training, given their busy lives and the desire to utilize kindergarten so they can resume normal work when their kids get older. This stress can be unknowingly passed on to their toddlers, leaving them feeling upset and ultimately reluctant to develop their potty skills. Clover Kindergarten wanted to develop a new way to support kids’ potty development in a manner fitting to their education philosophy of “creative imagination and art activity to raise enlightened children.” In so doing, they were also looking for a way to engage parents in the process by giving them something to support them during this trying time.  

THE STRATEGY:

The unusual strategy taken in response to the kindergarten’s challenge was to turn toilet time into an educational and fun moment that kids would participate in spontaneously. By removing the typical seriousness of the occasion and giving the kids something they could easily understand and relate to, they were happy to engage and learn. This approach was the reverse of the adult-led old ways of education, which tended towards being pushy and scolding. 

CULTURAL BACKGROUND:

The strategy is also rooted in Japanese culture, where there’s little taboo surrounding the subject. Real-world examples include a Poo Museum, poo math training books, and numerous instances of poo-based characters in children’s cartoons. Thus the idea was born out of a strong foundation.

THE EXECUTION:

A coloring book and toilet paper were combined to create the phenomenon of PooPaint. Once the product was developed, Clover kindergarten team held an experiential event with parents to educate them on its invention, and demonstrate its learning potential.

Immediately following this event, the PooPaint website was launched along with distribution through social media channels, In addition, Clover made PooPaint available for purchase from their website, which sold out in a matter of days.

All of these activities contributed to significant word of mouth; both from the bizarre approach and the immediate attraction from kids. To generate additional buzz, the PooPaint paper was installed in the kids’ bathroom at one of the biggest family-visited shopping malls in Tokyo. This gave an “anonymous” opportunity for kids and parents to experience the paper—with no brand claiming responsibility.

RESULT:

Mixing play with potty training is perhaps bizarre and certainly something that as grown-ups we may think is unsavory. Yet PooPaint, to our toddler “consumers” became the perfect communication device and aid to their potty-training development. Bringing a bit of fun to this typically serious developmental period ended up shortesning the time to potty-training mastery while also changing the mood of parents who could see the lighter side. Of those kindergarten parents surveyed, 95% said PooPaint eased the burden and stress of potty training.

PooPaint gained global media attention following a feature on Yahoo Japan. Picked up by culture site 9GAG, it went on to achieve 740 million global impressions and $2,000,000 USD in earned media. Parents showed their support and delight through many Instagram posts showing their happy kids.