Refreshing visit to the loo

Aquaclean is a toilet that takes its acronym very seriously: The water closet not only flushes wet after every flush, it also cleans your bottom with a warm jet of water and then blows it dry. The fresh and hygienic idea comes from the Jona-based sanitary technology company Geberit - and is over 30 years old. That's how long Geberit has been selling shower toilets that rinse twice with water.
As pleasant as the invention is, it is difficult to advertise. After all, everything that happens in the bathroom is a very private matter - especially when it's not about the design of the advertised toilet bowl, but about its "inner values". So how to advertise the benefits of increased hygiene without accusing the potential buyer of uncleanliness? Geberit commissioned the Y&R Group to find a solution to this question. The agency's mandate included the complete relaunch of the AquaClean brand, from market analysis, naming, development of the logo and brand world to the appearance for all communication measures in all channels for business and end customers.
A clean affair
The solution is the slogan "I Love Water". It carries the entire campaign, which was launched on Tuesday. The message: not cleaning yourself with water after using the toilet is just as absurd as rubbing yourself down with a towel in the morning without having showered first. The logo is also committed to the central message: the agency replaced the heart symbolizing "love" in "I love water" with a crisp, clean rear end in the shape of a heart. This type of humor generates attention and sympathy and also conveys the message that it's not just about love for water, but also for clean bottoms. Clever.
The case of water
The pictures taken by star photographer Michel Comte for some of the ads and TV commercials in the Swiss mountains near St. Moritz range from aesthetic to subtly erotic. Comte shows Melanie Winiger and Barbara Becker in drenched dresses in their element: water. Winiger kneels in front of a waterfall, Becker indulges in romantic reveries on the banks of a mountain lake. "I love water," both ladies are quoted as saying. There is no doubt that the ads, like the TV commercials featuring the two celebrity water lovers, are a wet eye-catcher that effectively draws attention to the "water principle" used by Geberit in its shower toilet.
> Spot Barbara Becker
> Spot Melanie Winiger
In addition to the Becker and Winiger subjects, the campaign also includes advertisements with the I-love-water logo. Classic images of a stylish bathroom equipped with the hygienic water closet are also used. The campaign is supported by a communication package consisting of a trade fair presence, POS equipment, sales promotion measures, sales aids, brochures, a partner concept and training material. The campaign was launched on Tuesday in Switzerland, Germany and Austria to coincide with the presentation of the shower toilet at the ISH international sanitary trade fair in Frankfurt am Main.
Wet and thorough
Before Geberit and the Y&R Group developed the advertising campaign, Geberit commissioned a feel-good and hygiene study. The survey institutes GfK and Market Institute interviewed people in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Japan. Three quarters of those surveyed believe that cleaning with water after using the toilet would be more thorough, and one in two could imagine buying a toilet such as AquaClean. Geberit is therefore hoping for a cultural change in the toilet. Incidentally, shower toilets are already commonplace in Japan and Finland.

Seven questions for Anke Mosbacher, Head Geberit Aquaclean
Do you love water?
Anke Mosbacher: Oh yes, I love the water, the freshness, the purity and naturalness. Water is invigorating for me.
Why do you advertise with the testimonials of Barbara Becker and Melanie Winiger?
They are ideal ambassadors because they convey the qualities of water through their naturalness and character: Barbara Becker, the harmonious one, hence the calm mountain lake, and Melanie Winiger, the powerful one, hence the waterfall.
Was it difficult to find models?
With the support of star photographer Michel Comte, we were able to recruit Becker and Winiger for our campaign. They all have a lot in common with Geberit because, like us, they are committed to the sustainable use of water as a valuable resource.
The ads and TV commercials featuring the two ladies seem erotic - eroticism and toilet, how does that go together?
The ads and TV commercials are an expression of love for water, a kind of declaration of love. The focus is on cleaning with water. We want this cultural change in the toilet
drive forward.
The I-love-water logo is rather humorous compared to the erotic touch of the two testimonials. Is that intentional?
It should be remembered and break the taboo in a friendly way.
Why did you conduct a consumer survey in six countries in the run-up to the campaign?
We wanted to get to know the personal hygiene behavior of our potential customers better and compare different cultures. This gave us the insight that the time is ripe for a cultural change in European restrooms.
Why did you commission the Y&R Group to implement the campaign?
The agency presented us with the best integrated concept to achieve our goal. (afw)
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm

Making-of (Barbara Becker).

Barbara Becker

Melanie Winiger

Making-of (Melanie Winiger).