The Brawny Academy
Paper Towels had become a commodity. Just a hair more relevant than toilette paper. So how could we differentiate ourselves in a crowded category in which no one hardly wanted to spend a nanosecond thinking about the subject?

Fortunately, Brawny did have something going for it. A famous asset - the Brawny Man. We decided to use him in a way that would allow us to become true advocates for women. And we did this by connecting him to what they cared about most - their significant others. The idea was to help women, by helping the men in their lives become more like the Brawny Man. We knew women would love the idea, but the trick was to do it in a way that men could appreciate as well.

So we created the Brawny Academy. A reality show where eight husbands were sent to be schooled by the Brawny Man himself. It was broadcast online, and all advertising promos including TV, print, digital, etc. pointed back to the show. Women loved it. Men loved it. And we succeeded in connecting paper towels to something people actually cared about.

Brawny Academy Case Study

TV Promos:
The TV campaign served as both promos for the show, as well self-contained branding. It also served a huge role in defining the personality of the Brawny Man which was crucial in establishing this idea.
Brawny Academy Print:
This print campaign ran in magazines targeted to women. It instructed them to leave it open where the men in their lives could find it, containing specific lessons on how they could become more like the Brawny Man. To appeal to men, each ad also included a special bonus lesson they would truly appreciate.
Insert Booklet:
Not everyone could attend the Brawny Academy, so we released this as an instruction manual of sorts. It had a few "short-cuts" to appeal to their girlfriends and wives, to get there quicker and reap the "benefits" of doing so.
Brawny Academy Website:
This was the hub of the show. It contained the episodes as they were released, including bios of the contestants and extras as the season progressed. It also contained tools and lessons for viewers to participate and learn how to become more like the Brawny Man. In a sense, this was the Brawny Academy, home school edition.
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