A conversation with the official mascots for Charmin
How did your family of bears come to represent the Charmin brand?
This may come as a surprise, but most humans have delicate sensibilities around any kind of bathroom banter. Butt we bears aren’t shy when it comes to talking about a better bathroom experience. And singing about a “Shiny Hiney” or Charmin “Booty Smile” sounds a lot better coming from a cute and cuddly animated bear.
Your new Forever Roll (12-inch diameter) is an innovative step forward for TP. How important is sustainability to Charmin?
The forest is our home, so it’s very important to us! One hundred percent of our paper comes from responsibly managed forests. The Charmin Forever Roll eliminates 100% of plastic wrappers, reduces the amount of cardboard inner cores we use by 80% and ultimately translates into fewer trucks on the road.
For animals that typically do their duty outdoors, how come you spend so much time indoors?
Don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing better than answering the call of nature while in nature … but we’ve also become accustomed to the niceties that indoor living provides. Luckily, Charmin travels well, so we can enjoy the go regardless of our environment!
Any potty-training tips to share?
Be a “roll” model for your cubs! They are little sponges, so it’s important to repeatedly demonstrate the process of wiping, flushing and washing your paws. And be generous with praise. It takes time to learn, so encourage them along the way and celebrate the big milestones—like when they realize how much better their bums feel using Charmin.
What makes you so enthusiastic about proper bathroom etiquette?
In this modern world, bathrooms tend to be the last bastion of solitude. A few minutes of “me time” in the bathroom is all some people get, so we want those few minutes to be the best, cleanest and most enjoyable experience possible.
Julian Zeng is omni-channel content manager at the American Marketing Association. He may be reached at jzeng@ama.org.