Commercial breaks often give TV viewers time to go to the bathroom, but not this much.
In a 30-second ad that aired during NBC’s first Super Bowl telecast, Liquid IV, a maker of electrolyte drink mixtures, decided to offer viewers a series of toilets and urinals that sing about Royal Flush, the need to test the color of urine to ensure proper hydration. The spot showed a series of different toilets and urinals singing a cover version of Phil Collins’ power ballad “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” by singer Ijae, known for her recent work in the movie “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Stacey Andrade Wells, the company’s chief marketing officer, said in a recent interview that the concept is “one of those things that makes you sit a little bit straighter in your chair, and it’s uncomfortable enough.” And while the ad doesn’t mention the actual product it’s promoting until the last few seconds, she added, “It all comes together at the very end,” and consumers can “understand why this toilet is singing.”
Liquid IV jumped into a very crowded pool. The Super Bowl brought together even more marketers of health and wellness products and services, promoting weight loss drugs, telemedicine services and even tests that could identify underlying illnesses to consumers. Andrard Wells believes the coronavirus pandemic has sparked interest in “refocusing on health and wellness.” Taking care of one’s mind and body has become a “very important part of people’s daily lives,” she says. “And that trend isn’t going anywhere.”
Unlike many others, Liquid IV bet on a creative concept rather than a famous face. Super Bowl viewers will see Serena Williams promote Ro, a telemedicine provider. Kenan Thompson, Ana Gasteyer, DJ Khaled and more star in Wegovy’s new weight loss drug commercial. Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara spotlight Boehringer Ingelheim’s new urine test aimed at highlighting kidney function.
“One of the things we very much intended when we created this idea is that most brands come out to the Super Bowl with celebrity talent in their ads, and you end up showing so many celebrities that you start misattributing them,” says Andrard Wells. “Celebrity fatigue is starting to creep in,” Liquid IV told advertising agency Anomaly, whose Super Bowl commercial ideas “do not rely on celebrity talent.”
Liquid IV has never aired a commercial at the Super Bowl before, but its owner, Unilever, definitely has. The consumer products giant has aired Hellmann’s Mayonnaise commercials at the Big Game for six years in a row, including 2026. And on Sunday, the company’s Dove will appear for the second time in recent years.
Toilet humor can also be a difficult conceit for Super Bowl audiences. Gory jokes don’t necessarily go over well with a wide audience, including families and children. But some have found a way to approach the subject without alienating the crowds dining while watching the big game.
Georgia-Pacific’s Angel Soft aired a 30-second spot last year during Fox’s Super Bowl XI telecast featuring a cute animated “angel” telling viewers it was time to go to the bathroom. A countdown clock also appeared in the commercial. WK Kellogg’s Raisin Bran may be one step closer to the boundaries of good taste by starring William Shatner in the role of “William Shutt” and talking about the topic as “William Shutt” in an ad scheduled to air on Peacock on Sunday. This high-fiber version of the serial will only air on streaming rather than on NBC’s linear feed.
“I’m sure there will be people who say, ‘I can’t believe I’m being asked to pee,'” says Andrard Wells. “But it’s not offensive.”
Certainly, it’s important to talk to people about their toilet habits. “Our goal is to drive behavioral change,” the executive says. “We want people at Super Bowl parties to talk about that with each other. And ultimately, we want them to think about hydration.”
To further make its point, Liquid IV is putting advertising money into places where people are likely to talk more about its ads, such as in bar restrooms in San Francisco, home of this year’s Super Bowl, and the home of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. The company also agreed to designate Monday as National Hydration Day and devised a way to bring liquid IVs to consumers through a partnership with DoorDash.
Of course, people can always drink more water, but the purpose of this Super Bowl commercial is to get you thinking about something a little more complicated. According to Andrard Wells, Liquid IV has “about 37% national brand awareness” and “about 18.5% household penetration. Less than half of Americans even know the brand exists.” After Sunday’s Super Bowl debut, that likely won’t be the case.
