Public confession time: I’m an “over” gal when it comes to re-loading toilet paper on a roll. I strongly believe its the correct way to load toilet paper and I’ve been known to switch people’s rolls in their bathrooms when visiting their homes. In fact, when it was recently loaded incorrectly at FH, I almost sent an email to my fellow females pleading for some derrière decency. But alas, I stopped myself, took a couple deep breaths and got back to work…

You may be asking yourself, “Hmmm – OK, why do I care?” Why? Because Cottonelle has said you should.

When I caught a glimpse of the Cottonelle Rollover Debate, I was tinkled pink. In a world where the discussion has always been about tri-ply, softness, scented and unscented, Cottonelle has taken TP to another level and sparked a debate that had my family talking at the dinner table. It’s a funny marketing tactic that has brought a buttload of attention to the brand. Social marketing, local outreach around poll results, online ads, viral videos – it truly was a well-rounded campaign.

Some of the assets were a little cheeky. For instance, using Tori Spelling and her husband, Dean McDermott, as campaign spokespeople seems like a miss. Where’s the connection? I suppose it’s a discussion married folks have, but in my experience, people have better things to fight about. Obviously it’s a light-hearted attempt at celebrity involvement, but I seriously doubt a lot of folks in their target really give a crap about what Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott think about toilet paper. I didn’t see their involvement get a lot of pick up either. Instead, I like the faux experts they use in the the viral videos. They’re funny, spirited and nothing beats good acting – did you hear that, Tori?

The campaign also used a psychologist/relationship expert to add more depth to the story – which I love. Now that I’m out of the watercloset as an “over” individual, I also know that I may have tendencies toward noticing what direction the toilet paper is hanging and be more likely  than others to be annoyed when it’s hanging the wrong way. And knowing is the first step, right?

I have to “ass”ume the campaign’s goal was to raise awareness and get people to pick up Cottonelle over its competitors. I can’t find any other meaning tied to it. And while it surely drew lots of attention, I wonder how long people will buy one toilet paper brand over another based on a flash in the pan(ts) marketing campaign vs. true product preference or differentiation? Sure, they built up 5K Facebook and less than 100 (disappointing)Twitter fans they can directly reach out to, but will they be loyal in the end? I admit, I grabbed a package the other day and had a good chuckle as I loaded the roll, but after a couple trial and errors, I quickly vowed to go back to my old standby – Charmin. Over or under, when nature calls, Charmin is my answer.

P.S. In my opinion, those who load it with the toilet paper coming from underneath the roll confuse me. It’s like they were never taught right from wrong. I guess I blame their mothers.

P.P.S. The first individual who can pick out the highest number of bathroom references in this post will receive a free roll of toilet paper.