Watching to Wipe? Innovation is great — but nobody wants a public restroom to make them feel like they are in an episode of Black Mirror.
A viral clip of a restroom toilet paper dispenser that makes people watch an ad before getting a few sheets has sparked global debate. While the concept may sound like a clever way to monetize attention, it misunderstands a critical truth of marketing: the associative value of ads — how people feel about your brand because of where and how they encounter your message — is as important as delivering the message itself.
The Risk of Negative Brand Association
When a brand inserts an ad as a barrier to a basic necessity like toilet paper, viewers don’t just remember the ad; they remember the emotion attached to it. In a vulnerable moment, the forced ad becomes the villain, and the advertiser inherits the blame.
- Resentment: People feel “held hostage” and transfer that frustration to the brand.
- Ridicule: Social media turns awkward experiences into viral jokes — at the advertiser’s expense.
- Backlash: Instead of boosting sales, the campaign creates avoidance and distrust.
Context Is Everything in Advertising
Bathrooms are spaces where people expect privacy, dignity, and utility without conditions. Turning access to toilet paper into an attention toll signals exploitation and tone-deafness. Even a brilliantly produced spot can’t overcome the bad optics of making someone watch an ad to meet a basic need.
- It reframes your brand as a gatekeeper to comfort.
- It violates norms of respect and autonomy.
- It invites comparisons to dystopian tech and “paywalls for essentials.”
Positive Alternatives: Ads That Respect the Viewer
Great advertising aligns with the audience’s expectations and enhances the environment. Instead of coercion, choose placements and formats that feel native, helpful, and welcome.
- Natural placement: Use screens and contexts where content is expected, not resented.
- Value-added messaging: Inform, entertain, or assist instead of interrupting or shaming.
- Environment control: When you control the space, you control the tone — and the halo around your brand.
Custom TV: A Better Way to Advertise in Your Own Space
Systems like It’s Relevant TV lets you deliver branded messages and promotions on screens within your own business — where guests already expect to see content. That means:
- No forced interruptions or awkward attention tolls.
- Positive association from useful, well-matched programming and on-screen promos.
- Low-cost, high-impact control of what appears on your TVs — including your own ads.
Instead of risking backlash with intrusive placements, build trust by communicating on your terms, in your environment, with content that reflects your brand’s values.
Innovation — Without the “Black Mirror” Vibes
Technology should make experiences better, not turn everyday moments into dystopian transactions. The lesson from “toilet paper ads” is clear: associative value matters. When ads respect people, they work. When they exploit people, they backfire. If you want attention that converts — and loyalty that lasts — choose positive, permissioned advertising in spaces you own.
