BANTER

Saturday, January 8, 2022

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The almighty brand breakdown is back and here for good!

Every Saturday will be dedicated to breaking down various parts of a brand—from their Facebook ads to their social media strategy and a lot more.

For the first brand breakdown of the year, we’re comin’ at you with the cheeky Aussie brand Who Gives a Crap.

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Who Gives a Crap creates products that are good for your bum AND good for the earth (they donate 50% of their profits to improve access to clean water and toilets) 🌏

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Get ready for a four-part breakdown of this brand’s marketing elements:

Part 1: Facebook Ads

Part 2: Email

Part 4: Website

Part 3: Blog & Social

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Let’s roll. 🧻

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FB/IG ADS

Ad 1: The Great TP Shortage of 2020™

Any toilet paper brand would be remiss not to capitalize on the TP debacles of 2020, and Who Gives a Crap nails it in this ad.

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✨Where It Shines:

• The headline copy is subtle but direct.
• The callout “Imagine if you knew that before 2020” forces the viewer to glance down at the creative for more context.
• They give photo cred to the original IG handle, which shows that this image is from an authentic fan and not another staged product shot.
• The text overlay pops on this image and is easy to read.
• The image catches your eye. Is that toilet paper or a box of fancy chocolates? (Ultimate pun potential in that angle, BTW.)
• Drag out letters in the CTA (“looooong”) are fun, and these usually perform well.

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💡 Pro Tips from Pilothouse:

#1: “I find myself wondering, do 48 rolls really last a year?” 🤔

Other viewers may be thinking the same, which could result in many questions in the comments.

This isn’t necessarily an issue, as long as Who Gives a Crap has a good comment mod team. In fact, it can create an opportunity to interact with fans and have good discussions, which ultimately makes for a scalable ad!

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Now, here’s an ad with the same copy, just different creative. 👇

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Not as effective, right? There’s a bit of a disconnect between the image and the ad copy.

What does a big box come with? Only three rolls?

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🚨Just an example of how much your ad creative matters!

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Ad 2: Tree Huggers & Loo Scrollers

This ad combines humorous copy with the angle of environmental sustainability.

We like the mix of the two, but whether it’s effective or not will come down to appropriate targeting.

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✨Where It Shines:

• The copy here is hilarious all the way through, from the headline to the CTA. Let’s face it; everyone can relate to scrolling through social media while on the “loo.” 🚽
• The ad creative ties in well with the copy.
• Eye-catching colors.
• Engaging headline that’s probably true for a lot of people seeing the ad.

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💡 Pro Tips from Pilothouse:

#1: The sustainability of a product may not always be the de facto decider for a broader audience that tends to think economically first. Focused audience targeting here is vital.

#2: This ad has potential but lacks context regarding how the product benefits the user. Try the same headline and angle with more copy to see how it compares.

Ad 3: Social Proof

This ad uses a real customer’s IG story image and is an excellent example of utilizing UGC to show social proof and provide credibility for your product.

✨ Where It Shines:

• Their claim in the headline is backed up by actual social proof (60K surveys), which gives the brand even more credibility.
• The creative oozes authenticity, and we especially like how the arrow draws your eye to the box.
• Showing the product in a box at the door helps the viewer imagine it being delivered to their home.

💡 Pro Tips from Pilothouse:

#1: This image is clearly optimized for IG Stories. Typically, square images perform best in ads, so we’d be interested in trying another creative format—perhaps something that shows the scale of the box a little clearer.

#2: The headline could use a bit of work. Tough for the eye to read at first glance. Emojis could help it stand out a bit more.

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Ad 4: The Power of the Pup

Let’s face it, puppies in ads are hard to beat. 🐶

Who Gives a Crap capitalizes on puppy power with a killer image and witty copy in this ad. (OK, but for real how’d they get that dog to stay in that box? What a good boy! 👏)

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✨ Where It Shines:

• The copy gives the dog a “voice” in the image, which brings the creative to life.
• Nice touches of humor throughout the headline copy.
• Such a great scroll-stopping image. Not only is there a cute doggo, but the colorful toilet paper rolls draw your eye as well.

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💡 Pro Tips from Pilothouse:

#1: Consider testing one version with an emoji or two in the headline copy to break up the text.

#2: We’d consider testing this as a retargeting ad to make shoppers aware of the different types of fun TP wrapping available.

#3: The “oh hi!” callout speaks to the viewer. It could be interesting to test more callouts like this in retargeting, such as “Oops! You forgot to checkout!”

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FB/IG ADS

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Ad 5: Sustainability Gif

This ad uses the sustainability angle, which is a large part of their brand ethos and allows them to target audiences interested in environmental causes.

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✨ Where It Shines:

• The clarity of the message is there. You immediately understand what this product is and the value it provides.
• The copy is super effective at building a movement around reducing plastic waste.

💡 Pro Tips from Pilothouse:

#1: This is a powerful ad, but it could be even more effective if the sustainability angle were backed up with something about how the customer benefits, too (cost, convenience, quality, size, etc.)

#2: The first sentence will catch the eye of people with a passion for a clean environment, the immediate ‘bait n switch’ is a great way to build quick empathy.

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Ad 6: Influencer UGC

To a keen marketer’s eye, it’s clear this is probably UGC from an influencer—but the mashup of the videos into a GIF makes it look fairly authentic.

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✨ Where It Shines:

• Creative like this typically performs very well for brands.
• Great idea to test the convenience angle of subscribing to toilet paper.
• The organic, rougher feeling of the creative instills a sense of trust for the viewers.

💡 Pro Tips from Pilothouse:

#1: We’d suggest backing up the “99.9% sure” claim with some social proof to add more cred. Add copy about ratings and reviews, such as “X% of customers gave our TP 5-stars.”

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Ad 7: One Year of TP

This ad focuses on a very relatable pain point: running out of toilet paper. 😨

The fact that you can get a full years’ worth of TP shipped to your house in a single box is definitely a strong USP for many consumers these days.

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✨ Where It Shine:

• The benefits are clear in the headline.
• Sprinkle of humor throughout the copy.
• They back up their claim with social proof (60K surveys).
• The creative is colorful, and the addition of the scrolling months adds to the clarity of the message while catching your eye.

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💡 Pro Tips from Pilothouse:

#1: This is a great benefit ad! They might want to test an emoji in the headline copy or break up the chunks of text.

#2: The ad copy could use a call to action at the end (i.e., “Click to see why more Americans are making the switch!”)

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Further Observations:

Overall, Who Gives a Crap has done a great job of covering a lot of their USPs and testing a variety of different angles, creative, and copy in their ads. 👏

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Suggestions from the Pilothouse team for testing future ads:

• Try an angle that focuses on the financial benefits of the product, whether that’s cost savings, guarantees, or fast shipping.
• Test more humorous ads, especially when it comes to ad creative. Toilet products provide endless opportunities for funny puns. 💩
• One looming thought was in our minds: Is there anything we have to give up by using sustainable TP? Quality? Comfort? Cost? Address that question for consumers in future ads.
• Run some comparison ads that clarify how Who Gives a Crap TP is superior to generic TP. (A time-lapse of a dog pulling on a toilet paper roll could be a great way to showcase the length USP.)

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👋 Stay tuned for Part 2 of our brand breakdown on Who Gives a Crap — emails!

BRAND FEATURES

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🍷 Nomadica: If your New Year's resolution is to cut back on sugar or reduce your carbon footprint, this zero-sugar and eco-friendly canned wine is for you!

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💤 Lagoon: Soft pillow, hard pillow, thick pillow, thin pillow? Check out Lagoon’s pillow fit quiz to discover (and buy) your perfect pillow.

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🚿 Sproos: Are you renting but want to up your shower game? Sproos has you covered with their no drilling and no mess showerhead set.

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🔊 HAVE YOU HEARD OUR LATEST PODCASTS?

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🐶 Chippin Pet CEO Haley Russell on Crickets, Carp, and Global Warming.

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DTC Newsletter is written by Thomas Schreiber, Kelsey Hess, and Rebecca Knight.

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