The Campaign

By creating a portable toilet that looked like a giant diarrhea medicine package, we succeeded in bringing the brand’s experience to young people, familiarizing them with the brand and vividly conveying the brand image. Overview Seirogan is a traditional diarrhea medicine that has been marketed for over a century and is widely known for its retro-style orange package, the distinctive odor of its natural ingredients, and commercials featuring a bugle call. But these days some young people consider it old fashioned, so a promotional campaign was carried out aimed at the younger generation. Concept A portable toilet was created in the image of Seirogan’s package. The familiar bugle call sounded whenever the door was opened, and it was filled with the pungent scent of the medicine’s natural ingredients. The toilet was deployed at sporting events, outdoor concerts, fireworks displays, and other places where young people gather. Results Not only young people, but also everyone from children to senior citizens was surprised and delighted by the Seirogan portable toilet. People lined up to snap photos, which they shared on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Coverage on TV, in newspapers, magazines, and on Web news sites combined for a total advertising impact estimated at more than 1.8 million dollars.

The Brief

The aim of our campaign was to boost awareness of the Seirogan brand among the young and increase purchase rates.

Creative Execution

Our portaloo was thus made to look very much like the guardian of gastrointestinal fortitude by reproducing the appearance of the product’s package. It was designed so that the product’s trademark bugle call would sound whenever the door opened. On the inside, the air was filled with the distinctive scent of Seirogan’s natural ingredients, and for the reading pleasure of users there was original toilet paper printed with humorous cartoons on the theme of diarrhea. With attention paid to the smallest details, the Seirogan Toilet functioned as a means by which users could experience the Seirogan brand. As a mobile form of media or utilitarian billboard, the toilet was set up a total of seven times over one year at outdoor and indoor events where young people gather, such as fireworks displays and music festivals.

The Seirogan Toilet drew attention through its unique presence at each event where it appeared. In the seven times it was set up, well over 30,000 people interacted with it. People lined up in front of the Seirogan Toilet to snap photos that they shared on social networking sites. The Seirogan Toilet also made an impact in the mass media. There was coverage on television, newspapers, magazines, and on Web news sites. The resulting indirect advertising impact was estimated at over 1.8 million dollars. The Seirogan Toilet successfully brought the Seirogan experience to young people, familiarized them with the brand, and vividly conveyed Seirogan’s image as the brand to turn to when diarrhea strikes.

Each time a Seirogan Toilet was set up at an event, the public was notified by blog posts. Because there were no larger structures in the areas where the toilet was set up at event sites, the sight of the familiar Seirogan package alone was enough to make the toilet an eye-catching presence that effectively drew visitors. The Seirogan Toilet’s arrival was also made known via newspapers and by handing out product literature at the events.