You’ve hit rock bottom. There’s water seeping out under the door, your hallway carpet is wet, and your new tiles are a tapestry of your bad decisions. Yep, many Sydneysiders have been there before. Call the plumber!
Only three things should ever be flushed down the toilet: Pee, poo, and toilet paper. But, alarmingly, 55 per cent of Sydneysiders still think it’s okay to flush more than the ‘3Ps’, resulting in over 20,000 sewer blockages a year, with a clean-up cost of $27 million.
It’s time to confront these people with a flushing truth: If you’re flushing anything other than the 3Ps, you’re a toilet blocker.
This simple message forms the basis of a new campaign aimed at breaking people’s bad flushing habits for Sydney Water by agency It’s Friday.
Framing errant flushers as ‘toilet blockers’, a film, social, radio, print, and PR campaign features a group of everyday Sydneysiders dealing with their incorrect flushing habits with the help of a support group called toilet blocker’s anonymous.
“This is a serious issue in our wastewater network and a significant problem right across Greater Sydney. We wanted to use humour to make people think twice about what they’re flushing down the toilet,” said Elise Barker, acting head of brand, media, and marketing at Sydney Water.
“The 3Ps may be simple to learn, but we needed a memorable and engaging way to encourage people to rethink their behaviour. It’s Friday’s ‘toilet blockers’ campaign does just that”.
“The message is simple, if you flush inappropriately, you’re part of a hidden group of everyday Sydneysiders who must break their bad flushing habits before it breaks their toilet. You may not know it, but you are a toilet blocker,” said Vince Lagana, CCO of It’s Friday.
“It’s not often you get to communicate a message that’s serious but also so awkward, it’s tailor-made for comedy. We’ve had a great time bringing it to life and we’ve all learned things along the way. Like, who knew tissues shouldn’t be flushed?”
The integrated campaign launched on 26th May 2024.
Credits
Client: Sydney Water
Creative agency: It’s Friday
Production company: Rabbit
Director: Craig Rasmus
Executive producers: Lucas Jenner & Alex Hay
Producer: Marge McInnis
Casting: Danny Long
Post production: The Editors
Sound: Squeak E. Clean Studios
Photography production: The Pool Collective
Photographer: Ingvar Kenne
Retoucher: Mark Sterne
