In 2010, Andrex®'s quilted toilet tissue Gorgeous Comfort was upgraded from a 3-ply to a 4-ply base sheet and the packaging changed from an attribute led "Quilts" to a benefit led "Gorgeous Comfort" proposition. Now rebranded as a premium toilet tissue, Andrex® asked us to create support activity for Gorgeous Comfort in 2011 to emphasise the new positioning and continue to build on momentum started in 2010, maximising sales opportunities to deliver profit as a trade-up from Andrex® mainline.

The objectives of the campaign were to increase base volume sales by 4.5%, to drive penetration by 2% by the end of 2011 and to increase the number of younger buyers aged 35+ (away from the 55+ base market). Andrex® also wanted to geographically influence buyers in other regions, away from the southern bias and support the the Andrex® brand promise, 'it's the little things'.

We made the strategic decision to develop a highly targeted Direct Mail piece. With the profile for Gorgeous Comfort representing 20% of the population, this enabled specific targeting in key segments. Research revealed that Gorgeous Comfort delivers a sensory experience with comfy quilted pillows of softness. When we talked to people about 'comfort', we found the answers were very subjective and emotive - everyone had their own personal thing that was comforting to them. This insight led us to create a a 'Little Book of Comfort' featuring a 75p coupon inside.

Redemptions for the Gorgeous Comfort coupon were really strong. In total, 87,438 coupons were redeemed out of 1,098,624 coupons issued, which is 8%; this is 4% over the industry average for coupon redemption. During the promotional period, base volume sales increased by 2.8% compared to the same period in 2010. The promotion achieved the penetration objective within the first three months, increasing by 4.6%. There was an uplift in younger households, where the housewife is 35-44 (from a buyer index of 90 in 2010 to 108 in 2011 - both against a value index of 102).

Client testimonial: The creative was aligned with the commercial program idea, demonstrating that smp clearly understood the direction the brand wanted to achieve with the new proposition. The dedication of the team paid off & this is evident by the exceptional results delivered!" Taryn Weeks, Senior Brand Manager, Kimberly-Clark.