The ‘unflushables’: Sydney Water prints PSAs on actual toilet rolls

For a free-ranging forest freak like Ad Nut, clogged toilets are a non-issue; and that’s about all you need to know about Ad Nut’s personal hygiene routines.

Spare a thought, however, for unfortunate Sydneysiders who have had to contend with frequent toilet blockages. Needless to say, it is a disgusting problem. There are a few seconds in the accompanying case study video that tested Ad Nut’s constitution quite severely.

But apart from the ick factor, it is also a lot of money going quite literally down the drain as the blockages come with an annual A$27 million ($17 million) price tag, according to Sydney Water.

All because a few denizens of the city imagine the commode to be less of a mortal creation of porcelain, physics, and water; and more of a magical portal to a distant dimension. This attitude has led them to toss any old junk into a toilet—including vapes and dentures—hit flush, and forget all about it, until it becomes too big (and stinky) a problem to ignore.  

Launched last year with a hilarious campaign, The Toilet Blockers Anonymous’ campaign this year from Sydney Water created by It’s Friday has addressed the challenge head on. This year’s campaign features a guidebook printed on toilet rolls. In partnership with eco-friendly toilet paper brand Who Gives A Crap, the guide includes do’s and don’ts for what can, cannot, and positively should not end up in a toilet.

Tim Barrett, digital marketing manager at Sydney Water said, “We needed a way to grab people’s attention where it matters most—literally in their bathrooms. Blockages are expensive and entirely preventable. This campaign delivers an unforgettable reminder right where behaviour change happens.”

It’s Friday CCO Vince Lagana added, “Humour has the power to drive real change, especially when it meets people in everyday moments. By turning a roll of toilet paper into a scroll of knowledge, we’re flushing out bad habits—one sheet at a time.”

A total of 20,000 guidebooks have been created and distributed all over Sydney. To ensure that the message reached the guilty parties, Sydney Water and It’s Friday ensured that plumbers across the city handed the guidebooks during real-life toilet unblocking visits. Ad Nut was not aware that being a ‘plumber influencer’ was a thing but the campaign is relying on these individuals including @SydneyPlumberChick to get the message across.  

Ad Nut hopes this is not one of the many well-intentioned campaigns that gets flushed away as quickly as you know what. Mainly because rather than being just a gimmick, it delivers a message at the right time and place, to a hopefully receptive audience, while also serving to provide entertaining reading material for the bog. And if it prevents more vapes, dentures and other unflushables from entering the public water system, so much the better.

CREDITS

Client: Sydney Water
Elise Barker, head of brand, media and marketing
Tim Barrett, digital marketing manager
Shelley Lewis, marketing and events lead
Chriss Mikhael, senior marketing advisor
Nick Plunkett, digital marketing lead

Creative Agency: It’s Friday
Grant McAloon
Mariah Ferrer
Claudia McInerney
Neil Walshe
Benn Sutton

Photography and Videography: Adam Eden @Eden Studios
Studio director: Rachel Lounds @Eden Studios