The co-founders of Star Toilet Paper are hoping to bring loo roll with advertisements printed on them to more and more bathrooms, after securing a number of clients in their first year of trading.
Following their initial inspiration for the product when they were – yes, you guessed it – in the bathroom, this product is the brainchild of brothers Bryan and Jordan Silverman, and is based on the idea that we want to read something when we’re in the bathroom. Targeted at businesses in America, locally at first across Michigan, North Carolina and New York with a view to releasing it nationally, this toilet paper allows companies to add their logo, slogan and more.
The adverts-sporting loo roll was launched in the US in December 2011, but it took more than two months for the business owners to secure their first client.
“Because our product is unique, there is often an initial hesitation in business owners’ minds that they do not want to market via our platform,” says Bryan Silverman, co-founder.
“However, once they realize the captive audience, mobile capabilities, reach, and frequency we can offer, we are able to work with one another.”
After a little over a year, the firm had almost 70 clients.
Each roll is custom-made for the venue, with names, logos and slogans printed on the paper. The advertisements also take the form of vouchers which can be redeemed via phones, and QR codes which enable customers to interact via their smartphones.
Silverman explains: “This allows companies to not only capture the attention of a potential consumer, but also have the customer interact with their brand and learn more about them. On our end, it helps prove the effectiveness of our product as we are able to track scans and text opt-ins, as well as tweak the offerings to make it as effective as possible.”
Each loo roll features 6 companies, with none of them competing directly with the venue. The venue gets a free advert on every roll.
According to 1to1media.com this unique loo roll is proving a success – one venue has seen “record-breaking dessert sales since advertising with Star Toilet Paper” and has “also seen a nearly 75 percent increase in restaurant sales overall, truly representing the power and meaning of Star Toilet Paper’s slogan: “Changing the way people do their business.””
Do you think this product would catch on with businesses over in the UK? We think it might – after all, bathrooms tend to be places we take pride in, and at home at least many people try to think outside the box when it comes to sanitaryware, opting for something a little less common like this wave black décor sink, for example.