Sydney, Australia – In a humorous attempt to fix the problem with Sydney’s sewer blockages, Sydney Water has teamed up with creative agency It’s Friday in a new campaign to call out Sydneysiders’ bad flushing habits.
Sydney Water and It’s Friday aim to spotlight the alarming issue that 55% of Sydneysiders still believe it’s acceptable to flush more than just the ‘3Ps’ (pee, poo, and toilet paper). This misconception leads to over 20,000 sewer blockages annually, costing $27 million in clean-up expenses.
The campaign will run across film, social media, radio, print, and PR. In the film, errant flushers, dubbed ‘Toilet Blockers’, candidly share their incorrect flushing habits, highlighting their contribution to the city’s growing problem of blocked sewers.
Furthermore, the film introduces a support group called Toilet Blocker’s Anonymous that educates ‘Toilet Blockers’, teaching them that only the 3Ps should be flushed down the toilet and nothing more.
Elise Barker, acting head of brand, media, and marketing at Sydney Water, said, “This is a serious issue in our wastewater network and a significant problem right across Greater Sydney. We wanted to use humour to make people think twice about what they’re flushing down the toilet. The 3Ps may be simple to learn, but we needed a memorable and engaging way to encourage people to rethink their behaviour. It’s Friday’s ‘Toilet Blockers’ campaign does just that.”
Vince Lagana, CCO of It’s Friday, added, “The message is simple: if you flush inappropriately, you’re part of a hidden group of everyday Sydneysiders who must break their bad flushing habits before it breaks their toilet. You may not know it, but you are a toilet blocker. It’s not often you get to communicate a message that’s serious but also so awkward; it’s tailor-made for comedy. We’ve had a great time bringing it to life, and we’ve all learned things along the way. Like, who knew tissues shouldn’t be flushed?”