A Gold-Pooping Dragon Stars in Squatty Potty's Latest Scat-Happy Long-Form Comedy

Squatty Potty knows some fantastic beasts and where to find them. That would be on the toilet, of course. The brand, known for its candy-colored fever-dream viral videos, has added a sweet-faced purple dragon, a contorting centaur and a ginger merman to its stable of oddball spokescharacters. The latest mini-movie, from agency Harmon Brothers, features a cameo from the now-famous pooping unicorn and the return of the handsome prince as narrator, regally spouting lines like, "Squatty Potty is a real product that makes No. 2 feel real good" and "I'm no doctor, but butt doctors agree that Squatty Potty is scientifically proven to help you poop better." (Stick around for his Braveheart-style speech, complete with dramatic background music.) The dragon shows off its active bowels, using "the stool for better stools," setting up punny references to "crouching colon, pooping dragon" and making a priceless (solid gold) deposit in "smells fargo." [kickout id="1"] The fourth quarter is a key selling season for the Utah-based brand, a veteran of Shark Tank that's now carried in retailers like Costco, Target, Rite Aid and Bed Bath & Beyond. And execs wanted to return to the fantasy-based world that's spiked its sales in the past few years. The new long-form commercial "gives people more of what they're hungry for," said Bobby Edwards, Squatty Potty's CEO. "It feels like a full-length feature advertisement, and it lets us talk about the subject of pooping without being too clinical." There's no ignoring the Game of Thrones influence—dragons are so hot right now—which also informed the prince's new streamlined outfit, according to Daniel Harmon, the agency's creative director. Out with the puffy sleeves and in with an outfit that might pass muster in Westeros. Other updates served practical purposes, and some were just for the fun of it. The hapless merman gives the prince a foil (he has no butt, but is the butt of several ruthless jokes), and the centaur struggling to wipe itself is a solid sight gag. The ultimate goal was to recreate the acid-trippy magical tone and feel of the original Squatty Potty ad and its sequel last year, execs said. They used the same puppeteers to make the dragon from scratch, and gave it an even more expressive face than the fan favorite unicorn. The video targets potential buyers ahead of the holidays, when "so much of the business relies on people gifting the product," Harmon said. But there's another target—consumers who might not think they need a Squatty Potty. "People who have problems are an easier sell," he said, "but the message here is that you can correct your toilet posture and avoid a lot of problems that come from doing it wrong." The ad, which just launched today on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, is officially named "Discover the most pleasurable way to poop." Edwards hopes it's another highly shareable video that can propel the brand past its expected $35 million in sales this year, which would be a 30 percent bump from 2016. "It was a tall order to top the pooping unicorn," Edwards said. But the CEO was an immediate fan of the new spot, citing its sharp script, production values, clever execution—and, of course, the dragon, which has been nicknamed Goldidrops. A plush version of the unicorn, now called Dookie, is a hot seller for the company, and depending on response to the new addition to the family, could get an adorable, crapping baby brother. CREDITS Agency: The Harmon Brothers Creative Director: Daniel Harmon Agency Managing Director: Benton Crane Director of Accounts: Theron Harmon Executive Producer: Theron Harmon Production Company: Jamestown Films Producer: Josh Stofferahn Project Manager: Tiffani Barth Writers: Dave Vance (lead), Kellen Erskine, Jessica Rigby, Robert Mac Director: Daniel Harmon 1st AD: Willem Kampenhout Prince: Wes Tolman Centaurides: Kerry Kalu Merman: Jeffrey Blake Director of Photography: Tyler Stevens 1st AC: Jameson Dressen Animatronics and Puppet Creation: Chris Hanson Puppeteer Lead: Chris Hanson Puppeteers: Kelly Donahue and Brandon Anderson Script Supervisor/Editor: Kaitlin Snow Visual Effects Supervisor: Nick Dixon Digital Effects/Motion Graphics: Tyler Stevens, Nick Ritter, Narendra Moond, Josh Badger Graphic Design: Brett Crockett Production Sound: David Adamic Sound Design: Jake Edvalson Production Designer: Dillon Ellefson Prop Master: Wray Featherstone Greensman: Michael Orme Set Decorator: Chris Kelly On-Set Painter: Chad Davis Wardrobe: Anna K Findley Wardrobe Assistant: Shannon Poulson Gaffer: Phil Shepherd Key Grip: Kevin Woodward Public Relations: Matthew Faraci Behind The Scenes: Mike Henderson Assistant Editor: Kayty Miller Studio: Studio V, Brandy Gilliam Vega Client: Squatty Potty CEO: Bobby Edwards Co-founders: Bill Edwards, Judy Edwards CMO: Jason Burroughs CFO: Devin Brady Digital Content Producer: Carson Stilson

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A Gold-Pooping Dragon Stars in Squatty Potty's Latest Scat-Happy Long-Form Comedy

The prince welcomes a new sidekick

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley