Babies make funny faces when they poop. It is known. Saatchi & Saatchi London took this idea and ran with it for Pampers Wipes, multiplying the humor by filming in slow motion and setting the footage to Richard Strauss‘ “Thus Spake Zarathustra.”
Is it a simplistic approach? Sure. But what’s not to like? The spot ends with the hashtag #PampersPooFace preceding the “Don’t Fear The Mess!” tagline, ensuring plenty of branded social engagement from parents (who, of course, will jump at any opportunity to share pictures of their babies on social media). And while the musical choice might not exactly be an original one, it is a trope for a reason, and works perfectly here. The approach stands in stark contrast to Saatchi & Saatchi New York’s recent, more ambitious “Hush Little Baby.”
While that spot took a serious tone and runs for almost twice its length, “Pooface” manages to do more to stand out from the pack, partially due to the sheer number of long, serious spots lately but also because it is so well executed. Saatchi & Saatchi London’s potty humor (or is it pre-potty humor?) has universal appeal, and while it doesn’t do much to explicitly sell the product, the branded social tie-in and memorability of the ad should make Pampers stick in people’s minds like… you know what, never mind.