These guys get it

I'm sitting here cleaning up my email and I find this.
__________


WHAT: THE CHARMIN RESTROOM, THE BIGGEST EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING PROGRAM OF THE SEASON

WHERE: NEW YORK CITY, 1540 BROADWAY NEXT TO THE VIRGIN MEGASTORE IN TIMES SQUARE

OPEN: Through December 31st


We invite the event marketing industry to see first-hand what everyone is talking about. Come visit the ultimate brand-as-destination/brand-as-hero experience, the Charmin Family Restrooms in Times Square!

Delivering surprise and delight at the crossroads of the world, the Charmin Family Experience is a 12,000 sq. ft. oasis of comfort complete with 20 stunningly luxurious and immaculate restrooms. Some highlights from our first three weeks of operation:

1. 191 million media impressions in the first 24 hours,
358 million media impressions in the first 10 days,
and 437 million media impressions in the first 20 days

2. Exposure in every major newspaper and on every
major network. ‘New York Times’ editorial: “The
Charmin Restrooms are the Disneyland of
Restrooms!”

3. Surprising and delighting 10,400 families per day

4. More daily visitors to the Charmin Experience than
attendees to the Statue of Liberty or skaters at
Rockefeller Center

5. Minimum family visit: 12 minutes; Average family visit:
22 minutes

6. Families from all 50 states and 110+ countries

7. More than 300 videos posted by visitors on
YouTube.com

8. 95% of all families take three or more pictures inside
the Experience

COME VISIT! Until now, the #1 most asked question to police in Times Square: "Where's a bathroom?" Outfitted with every amenity imaginable, from wainscoting, crown molding, hardwood floors, porcelain fixtures, cloud-motif skylights, fireplaces, a dance stage, topiaries, toboggan family photo opportunity, and plenty of overstuffed furniture for all those tired holiday shopping legs, the Charmin Family Experience gives New Yorkers and all those visiting New York the one thing the city has never offered: perfectly clean and abundant public restrooms!

It’s experiential marketing at its best, and the event industry has to experience it before it closes on December 31. Concepted, created, and executed by Gigunda Group.

___

I think I got the email because I am subscribed to some event marketing newsletters. And event marketing has always been near and dear to my heart.

What I like about this is that these folks have figured out how to turn a basic necessity (and usually an unpleasant experience -- do you like public bathrooms on street corners?) into something memorable.

So how come so many music venues can't deliver a quality experience? Sure, corporate America has a big marketing budget and can afford to do something like this, but bars could at least strive for fun CLEAN bathrooms if nothing else.