The 2 Litre Towel

Background

Australian Weaving was a small local towel-maker under threat from cheap imported towels.

There was a possibility its plant, the last surviving cotton mill in Australia, might have to close.

The cheap towels were made from poorer-quality cotton, treated with chemicals to make them feel soft and absorbent. But the 'softeners' actually repelled water – defeating the purpose of the towel.

Australian Weaving had to find a way to remind consumers what made a good towel.

Idea

In a 50/50 partnership with M&C Saatchi, the idea was to focus on the packaging as a way to get the message across.

The insight was that the quality towels could absorb two litres of water, twice as much as imported rivals.

To demonstrate this, the product was packaged into a 2 litre bottle and rebranded as the 2 Litre Towel.

To make the point, the bottles were displayed in-store in fridges. After they bought a towel, purchasers were encouraged to soak the towels in water to prove the point.

Results

The rebranding, allied to a PR push, helped Australian Weaving secure distribution in 38 stores across the country, in the upmarket David Jones department store.

The rebranding was accompanied by a premium price point, 100% higher than before. The entire in-store inventory of 2,000 units sold out in three weeks while the online inventory went in three days.

Our Thoughts

Stories like this gladden the heart. Plucky local manufacturer takes on foreign giants and defeats them with a better product.

It's a useful reminder that the answer to a client's problem isn't always advertising, and that ad agencies can do a lot more than produce ads.

At its core though, the story demonstrates what ad agencies are good at: finding the unique selling point of a product, and finding a way to dramatise and demonstrate it.