The holidays are a big time for feasting, and hence, a major selling season for bathroom-centric products. But it might be better not to dwell too much on how one leads to the other.
Instead, enjoy the pissing match that's broken out in the poop wars between odor-eliminating toilet-spray veteran Poo-Pourri and upstart Squatty Potty.
Poo-Pourri just unveiled a new ad with its fan favorite character, the stylish and punny Bethany, metaphorically strolling through history to show us we're all still cavemen when it comes to basic bodily functions.
This 2.5-minute video, which debuted Thursday on the Poo-Pourri Facebook page, comes just hours after Squatty Potty debuted the first ad for its own toilet spray, Unicorn Gold, starring the handsome prince and pooping unicorn from its famous flagship spot.
The two products are now competing head to head—or butt to butt, if you will—for consumer interest in masking their stench.
The timing was coincidental, Poo-Pourri vp marketing Will Clarke, tells AdFreak. He said the "History of Poop" spot was already queued up. But he thinks the competition could be good for everyone.
"We wanted to wait until after the election craziness, but then, with all the angst right now, we thought it was a good time to make people laugh," Clarke says. "It's a happy accident that it dropped the same day a knock-off brand came out."
Poo-Pourri uses an "annals of history" approach for the video, created by its new in-house content team, Number Two Productions, Clarke said. Scottish actress Bethany Woodruff, in a series of lovely turquoise gowns, togas and loincloths, returns with her most proper British accent to talk about pooping through the ages.
There's the aforementioned caveman, an ancient Greek, a regal lady and a steampunk dude representing everything from "going Roman numeral II" to "dropping a royal rump roast." Tagline: "The best thing to happen to pooping since your butt."
It's a follow-up to Poo-Pourri's most recent "control the shit-uation" triple-play of videos: "How to Poop at Work,""How to Poop on a Date" and "How to Poop at a Party." The latter has racked up nearly 8 million YouTube views. "History of Poop" touts the product's essential oils, odor-masking qualities, 20 million bottles of the product sold and "more five-star reviews than the wheel or fire," says Bethany.
Aside from their twisted sense of humor, Unicorn Gold and Poo-Pourri share some other common ground. Viral video mavens the Harmon Brothers created the initial Poo-Pourri debut ad, "Girls Don't Poop," and they now work for Squatty Potty.
Asked about the "knock-off" comment from Poo-Pourri, Benton Crane, Harmon Brothers' managing director, tells AdFreak: "Squatty Potty's Unicorn Gold is now the best toilet spray in the world, and we're proud that they enlisted us to tell their story."
Let the poo-slinging begin!
Squatty Potty's first pooping unicorn video from last fall has logged more than 120 million views, making it one of the most successful viral videos ever. The sequel, "Slay Your Poo-Stink With the Golden Fart of a Mystic Unicorn," was posted early Thursday on Squatty Potty's Facebook page.
Poo-Pourri, which Clarke says will keep churning out content that "challenges taboos in a comedic way," will premiere another new video on Nov. 19, which is World Toilet Day. It's part of a United Nations-backed effort to increase awareness for sanitation in the developing world.
Poo-Pourri, based in Addison, Texas, plans to give 100 percent of its sales proceeds that day to help build toilets in poor countries.
CREDITS
Client: Poo-Pourri
Director: Nicole Story
Writer: Nicole Story
Producer: Tess Kelly
Director of Photography: Tel Stewart
Production Company: Number Two Productions
Poo-Pourri CEO: Suzy Batiz
Production Designer: Lindsey Juckem
Art Director: Kee Miller
Hair & Make-up Artist: Danielle Donahue
Wardrobe Stylist: Kathy Eckenbrecht
Editor: Adam Henderson @ Post Op
Colorist: Mike Pethel @ BeachHouse
Sound Design: Glenn Ferguson
Finishing Artist: Mike Jensen
Motion Graphics: Cody Clack @ Post Op
Animation: PostOp
Post Production Producer: Katie Snyder
Composer: Andrew Manson
Set Construction: 3 Sixty Scenery
Cast:
Poo-Pourri Girl: Bethany Woodruff
Caveman: Liam Buie
Romans: Richard Chavez, Alex Diaz, Danny Shepherd, Davis Harris
Medieval lady: Shiloh Nyce
Medieval maid: Ischa Bee
Outhouse guy: Nicolas Diaz