Every now and again something unexpected makes you stop dead in your tracks. “…errrr…WHAT?” you think as you press your rewind button because you can’t quite believe your eyes. You rub them, shake your head and then take a third look just to make sure. You then burst out laughing.
I experienced one of these “…errr what?” moments early one morning as I entered the ladies toilets in Lisbon Airport. Yes, folks another toilet post. No folks, I do not have a toilet fettish…promise.
With a two-thirty a.m wake-up call, as you can imagine, I was not the brightest button in the box and I felt a rather grumpy, bleary-eyed Piglet (I don’t “do” 4.30am airport checkins with good humour). However, as the fog of sleep gradually cleared I spotted a huge sign painted on the wall in the entrance to the toilets. I stood and looked at the sign in disbelief.
“JOIN THE SEXIEST PAPER ON EARTH”
Now I’ve never been one to look at the type of magazines and papers discreetly located on the top shelf of newsagent. One, because I am too short to reach them. And two, well just because… 😳
Nevertheless the sign had definitely caught my attention.
Intrigued I entered the inner sanctum of the ladies restroom my imagination now in overdrive!
I really don’t know what I expected to find, but come on it was definitely NOT “SEXY” Toilet paper!
Plus the words were written in English in Portuguese toilets.
I would hardly put toilet rolls and sexy in the same sentence. Would you?
Always keen to make the most of an “interesting” photo opportunity, I completely forgot my original intention and went in search of Mr. Piglet. I tried to secretly retrieve my camera from the pile of luggage he was guarding with all the enthusiasm of a “pitbull terrier”
My cover blown.
“Don’t ask”
“Errr What?”
He spotted I had the camera and sighed.
“What on earth can you be taking photos of this early in the morning?”
“Don’t ask”
Well I hardly wanted a debate about taking pictures of “Sexy” Toilet paper!
I returned to take my photos, but not before I was subjected to some rather astonished looks from other travellers!
I bet their “..errr..What?” moment was something along the lines of “Why is a piglet taking photographs of sexy toilet roll signs?”
Please share your “..errr..What?” moment
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Love it. do you know us marketeers get paid a fortune to come up with this sort of stuff? I saw this and thought of Peter Jones’ comment once, about a portable toilet for festivals: ‘you shit in a bag’. sorry still laughing at both. x
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Hi Frogshower,
I can think of equal shite! Please can I have a job?
PiP
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I remember the novelty toilet roll you could get with pictures of British politicians on it. All of a sudden it was totally within the realms of possibility that you could “wipe yer arse” with Margaret Thatcher!
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LOL 🙂 or even Gordon Brown!
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A-ha – I have finally found another toilet-photographer: http://wp.me/ppqxP-7u
At least you have a good reason to take pictures …
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I was intrigued by your photographer taking photos of urinals!
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Obviously male advertising execs! Should we expect sexy tampons next? The mind boggles.
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😆 Do you remember (or are you too young) the wonderfully stunning Modess ads of years ago? There is one ad here http://oyeniyicommentary.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/then-there-is-the-stuff-kept-quiet/ but it was the only one I could find – some were VERY glamorous!
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Thanks for sharing this article Robyn. I can’t believe how these women were treated. Shame on Australia – shame
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No, not sexy!! But great pictures anyway!!
For the little ones ‘Princess’ birthday I bought some funny toilet paper I saw in an add on the internet. You know how those pictures are small? When it arrived I excitedly showed my to be 5yo thinking it was a collection of little cartoon frog prince pictures – then she pointed out kiss marks on the frogs bottom!!
Whoops!
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LOL, what a hoot! How did you explain that one. Hmmm it might give this company new ideas!
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Funny! I guess sex really does sell everything. At least that’s what they’re trying to make happen. TP though? Crazy.
I would have to take a picture. too. 😉
~FringeGirl
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Hi Fringe Girl and welcome! Perhaps “they” believe it does… LOL
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Hi Shell,
I usually carry my camera in my handbag. My handbag is very large and goes everywhere with me!
However, on this particuar morning I entrusted it to Mr Piglet.
I love my camera 🙂
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Does this mean you’ll start taking your camera to the loo? LOL You have the most interesting loo experiences!
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That’s just weird. And what will be even weirder now are the searches that will find your blog as a result 😉
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Tilly you should see my SPAM box!
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OMG – I never thought of THAT before I published!!!
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LOL 🙂 Akismet will be busy!
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Hey! Nice discussion. It works, that’s the conclusion. We discuss, so we care about. Please check these nice videos:
Renova Black at FOX 5, NYC http://bit.ly/4gliH2
Renova Black at BBC: http://bit.ly/uCOo4n
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Hi AntonioLOL not sure care is the right word…maybe amused 🙂
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Tag, you’re it!
Because your blog is awesome, you’re a Liebster Blog now
http://peanutbutterinjerasandwiches.wordpress.com/
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Hi tyco, thanks for the tag…I’ve now been awarded the liebster twice!
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What a riot! I don’t see the connection between sexy and toilet paper either… Sheesh! But then, what do I know? 😆
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We know nothing Eliz..just ordinary folks!
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Loved this and you know what I think? It is great publicity, I mean look at all the comments on their product..hahha it succeeded! Great blog though Carole… loved it. M
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Hi Maria,
Yep, it is certainly a little different…
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Well, didn’t you just made a blog post about it? With 12 comments? 😉
You see, Renova was just an ordinary brand of ordinary toilet paper. Until someone there got the crazy idea of making BLACK toilet paper. All of a sudden it was all over the place, in trendy bars, in yuppie stores, in all those places where you need to be seen as a glamorous shopper. And after the black toilet paper, came the shocking green, the fuchsia, the outlandish drawings, the witty writings.
You don’t even need to take a picture of the brand, I just KNOW it is Renova… Clever, isn’t it?
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Hi Isabel,
Yes I agree it is VERY clever, but would it make me buy it…no. My immediate impression is that any add-on to a toilet paper like “sexy” would make it expensive. Austerity bites deep here in Portugal for the everyday person. Is it a Portuguese brand? Austerity toilet paper may catch on better. ie start the day in a cheerful way. A different slogan written on each sheet perhaps.
Yes, I remember the brand but it gives the impression of a yuppie trendy toilet paper, you are right there!
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😆 ~rofl~ What an astonishingly amusing advert. What in the world could they have been thinking? lol Sexy toilet paper… what a stupid catch phrase.
I love that it gave you a laugh in the wee hours of the morning and then you shared it with us. I physically laughed-out-loud when I read this. You are a delight. Thanks so much! 😆
My two posts on my blog of my most recent ‘What’ moments are the bizarre one of the woman flagging us down for a cigarette and the second one was about Grandma’s doves, it was bittersweet. 🙂
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I am glad the thought of SEXY toilet paper also made you laugh!
I will click over to your place and check out your posts. running behind on eveything with being back in in the UK
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I would share – but I don’t have one to match! 😆
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Yes, even I have to dig deep to match this!
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Very strange, but funny – thanks for the laugh – great photographs 😉
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Thanks mature student…the photos came out well considering I could hardly focus my eyes!
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I am not surprised actually. Today marketers use the word “sexy” and “hot” for anything, trying to create a “buzz”. But I just wonder how do they not think that it might actually disappoint and irritate consumers, therefore generating a negative image of their brand in consumers’ mind.
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Looking at these comments I don’t think the ladies were impressed. I wonder if it was aimed at men? I look at the paper and think goodness that’s going to be expensive…think I will stick to Lidls
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Oh my hat! This is bizarre!
I wonder how well this will work?
(One of my clients is a toilet paper brand – maybe this is what they mean by new product development?)
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Not sure about new prodcut development unless they are marketing Lindsays suggestion (see above) of using Tusa
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A silly advert no less! What´s sexy about toilet paper?
I too get funny looks sometimes when photographing strange things! I feel like telling the onlookers ” I have to take photos for my blog”.
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Hi Sami,
Yes a silly advert probably written by a man!
I am glad it’s not just me! I drive Mr Piglet mad keep taking photos He calls me a Japenese tourist for some reason.
I usually take odd photos in case they are useful for the photo challenge.
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Inquiring minds want to know, PiP! Was there anything “sexy” about the TP? In fact, how do you make TP sexy? What did you discover? Don’t keep us in suspense!
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Well Rose,
I’m not sure, as I forgot to go to the loo! I just wonder if the mens loos were the same? Perhaps men find toilet roll SEXY…and it’s a man joke!
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What could possibly make toilet paper SEXY? and why on earth would they have it written in english…
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My sentiments Jeanne…still it made me smile
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I’m glad you went and got the camera. If you hadn’t, I would have put the whole thing down as a figment of piglet’s over-sleepy imagination. 😉
Their slogan could be I’m too sexy for your butt . . . too sexy for your butt . . . too sexy.
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I was so tired when we arrived at the airport I couldhardly keep my peepers open 😦 The sight of a sexy toilet roll soon woke me up. Trouble was I forgot to go to the loo!
Nice slogan!
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Please explain what is sexy about the paper? Here we use what they call tusa. It is corn on the cob and you let the chicken eat the corn off the cob and then the naked cob is used as toilet paper. Totally natural and recycle able. Very good at cleaning what is supposed to clean albeit a tad scratchy!
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Hi Lindsay, so its not the leaves you use, but the spikey bit! I don’t know whether you are joking! that sounds really painful! Can’t wait to get to the letter T in My A-Z for further info. Do you really reuse it? No… you are teasing!
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I wasn’t teasing! Well I don’t use tusas but they do in the campos or country villages. Apparently they work better than leaves as they sort of collect everything they need to. Ooops I didn’t mean recycleable I meant biodegradeable lol. No they are not reused!!
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I know exactly what you mean! I’ve been just as baffled by those adverts – what on earth?!!! It’s just bonkers, if you ask me and if anything, puts me right off the brand because they’re being so ridiculous. There are some things I’ll never understand and this is one of them. 🙂
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Yeah..absolutely bonkers. I needed blinkers when I walked into the restroom area…
Still it got me blogging about it, so the marketing campaign worked. I won’t buy them; probably too expensive. Lidyls are the best value and in times of Austerity sexy toilet paper is way, WAY down the list LOL 🙂
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Thanks for the grins, PiP. I don’t ‘do’ airports at that hour, either. I’m impressed you found your sense of humour at that hour!
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Hi Jan,
Yep, I had to dig deep!
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