Plunging into Experiential Marketing
Garrett McDonough here. I’ve just survived a month as the newest member of the SCHMITTteam (book projects, research, symposia). As part of my initiation, I was invited to share a few thoughts as a guest SCHMITTblog author. Here goes:
All the talk here about “Experiential Marketing” sends me back to last December, when Charmin rented out a giant two-story space next to the Virgin Megastore in Times Square (a stunning example of experiential marketing in of itself) and converted it into “The Charmin Restrooms.” They set up giant speakers on the street blasting the Charmin theme song (an eerie, Jimmy Buffet-esque tune professing the extreme fun it is to “wiggle” while using Charmin-brand toilet paper) and had people in Charmin Bear costumes urging passersby to come on in and test drive their TP. How could I resist?
After ascending their giant escalator, and passing underneath ten overhead flat screen TV’s broadcasting the cartoon music video of the Charmin theme song (which, in my journey to the porcelain throne I would hear about 37 times), I reached the main floor of the restrooms. Every inch of the walls, floor, and ceiling was painted with the Charmin blue and white logo. In the corner was a stage underneath a disco ball with a man in a Charmin bear costume dancing to the theme song and juggling rolls of toilet paper. About ten workers with headsets (I’m still not sure why) mingled with the crowd, asking where they’re from, if it’s their first time in New York, etc. Other workers dealt with the line, directing restroom-goers to particular stalls, waiting outside, then giving the seat a quick scrub after every use.
I waited in line for about fifteen minutes before it was my turn to try out the product firsthand. The inside of the stall was painted with cartoon images of clouds and the ubiquitous Charmin bear, and it was a big step up from the basement of the Port Authority, which I usually resort to for pit-stops in Times Square. I had my choice of six different rolls of paper, but soon found it impossible to try them all in one, um, sitting. Was this over-abundance of product Charmin’s way of encouraging a return visit?
On the way out a young woman with a clipboard asked for my email to sign up for the Charmin newsletter. I declined, and she handed me something wrapped in plastic that I at first thought was a Pez dispenser. It turned out to be a toilet roll-extender, to enable my bathroom roll-holder to fit Charmin’s giant sized rolls of TP.
“Hey,” I said, “you know I actually am running low on toilet paper. How much for a four-pack?”
“I don’t know. I think there’s a Duane Reade down the block.”
And there, SCHMITTreaders, was the ultimate example of experiential marketing. Not only did Charmin spend a massive amount of money and manpower to provide the consumer with a direct, fun experience of their product, but they didn’t even sell the product at the site! And, I’ve got to say, it worked. Next time I went to the drug store and saw the Charmin logo on the shelf, that annoying theme song popped into my head, and I felt my hand reaching out for the toilet paper that promised to make going to the bathroom fun again.
A New York Times article about the Charmin Restrooms: http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=FA0F1FFA3C5A0C768DDDA80994DE404482
Pictures of the fun! http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2006/11/daily_intel_exclusive_charmin.html
But best of all, from YOUTUBE... The Naked Cowboy sums it all up as he uses the Charmin Restrooms:
Comments