Why is this work relevant for PR?

To help toddlers with the challenge of potty-training, Lohas and their agency partner created a specially designed toilet paper. What started out at a single daycare center in Tokyo became a PR topic worldwide. After Yahoo! Japan picked it up, and it was then seen on the site 9GAG, it made it to TV and radio shows in Australia, North America and throughout Japan. The topic is innately PR-friendly. You take an slightly uncomfortable subject, find a cute and simply clever solution, add some toddlers and you've got a great PR story.

Background

Japanese moms can become quite stressed about potty training, given their busy lives and their desire to resume normal life and even returning to work when their babies become toddlers. This stress can be unknowingly passed on to their children, leaving them feeling upset and reluctant to develop their potty skills. Lohas Kindergarten wanted to develop a new way to support kids’ potty development fitting to their education philosophy of “creative imagination and art activity to raise enlightened children,” and were also looking for a way to engage parents in the process by giving them something to support them during this trying time. The idea was born out of this situation.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

The idea was very simple. Since kids love to draw, paint and, in general, make art, the approach takes this fundamental characteristic into consideration and applies it to something they're uncomfortable with, to ease that discomfort and make potty-training fun. By printing playful unfinished illustrations onto the toilet paper, it turned the frightful experience into something they already like doing, and help build their skills in potty-training, while coloring within the toilet paper's lines.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

The unusual approach was taken on by a childcare center, which cared for toddlers in the potty-training age. After understanding the issues and challenges for many years, the center and agency partner came up with this solution that started small, but grew to be something much larger. In response to the kindergarten’s challenge, toilet time became an educational and fun moment that kids would participate in spontaneously. By removing the typical seriousness of the occasion and giving the kids something they could easily understand and relate to, they were happy to engage and learn. This approach was the reverse of the adult-led old ways of education, which tended towards being pushy and scolding.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

A coloring book and toilet paper were combined to create the phenomenon of "PooPaint". Once the product was developed, the Lohas kindergarten team held an experiential event, with parents, to educate them on the new invention, and demonstrate its learning potential. Soon after this event, the PooPaint website was launched along with distribution through social media channels. In addition, Lohas made PooPaint available for purchase from its website, which sold out in a matter of days. On the PR front, we gave a release, complete with pictures and invitations for a visit to various Japanese media outlets, including Yahoo! Japan, which is a very important media outlet here. From there, we knew it would get picked up but we had no idea the results would be so big.

List the results (30% of vote)

PooPaint became the perfect communication device and aid to their potty-training development. Bringing fun to this typically serious developmental period ended up shortening the time to potty-training mastery while also helping the previously challenged parents who could see the lighter side. Of those kindergarten parents surveyed, 95% said PooPaint eased the burden and stress of potty training tremendously. PooPaint gained global media attention after a feature on Yahoo Japan. Picked up by culture site 9GAG, it went on to achieve 740 million global impressions and US$2,000,000 in earned media through TV and radio programs in Japan, Australia and in North America. Parents showed their support and delight through many Instagram posts showing their happy kids.