If someone had told us fifteen years ago that we’d one day be writing a love letter to a toilet paper brand, we’d have raised an eyebrow.
But here we are. We’re a little bit obsessed with Who Gives A Crap, and we reckon you should be too.
On paper, toilet paper is about as exciting as it gets, which is to say not very. It’s one of the most commoditised products on the planet. Most of us grab whatever’s on offer and never give it a second thought. Which is exactly why this Australian brand fascinates us. They took one of the most boring things in your weekly shop and turned it into something people genuinely love, with proper fans, loyal subscribers and shelf space in shops all over the world.
It’s the perfect proof of something we’ve always believed. There are no boring products. Only boring brands.
Here’s why they’ve won us over.
They actually stand for something
From day one, Who Gives A Crap has been built around a simple mission. Half of their profits go to sanitation projects around the world, improving access to clean toilets and safe water. By 2024, that came to more than $13 million donated.
Loads of brands have a cause these days, and we’ll admit we’re a bit allergic to the ones who treat it as a marketing tickbox. What we love here is that the purpose isn’t bolted on the side. It’s baked into the whole business. That’s the difference, and you can feel it.
They know how to make an entrance
Most brands launch with a press release. Who Gives A Crap launched with their founder sitting on a toilet.
In 2012, founder Simon Griffiths livestreamed himself on the loo for 50 hours while crowdfunding the company’s first $50,000. It was daft, it was memorable, and it was absolutely perfect for the product.
And here’s the bit we love most. People talked about it. That’s the whole game. Great marketing usually starts with giving people something worth sharing, and you don’t need a huge media budget if your story is good enough to spread on its own.
The packaging makes us a bit giddy
For most retailers, packaging is just there to stop things getting bashed about in transit. Who Gives A Crap treats it as part of the product.
Every roll is individually wrapped in colourful paper with playful designs and proper cheeky copy. People post photos of their deliveries because opening the box feels less like restocking the bathroom and more like Christmas morning. As a studio full of designers, this is exactly the stuff that makes our hearts sing, and it’s something we bang on about with clients all the time. Unboxing isn’t the end of the journey. It’s part of the brand experience. If your product turns up looking just like everyone else’s, you’ve quietly thrown away a chance to be remembered.
They make a repeat purchase feel like an event
Toilet roll is the definition of a repeat purchase. Most brands would leave it there. Not this lot.
Alongside the usual subscription model, they drop limited-edition wrappers and seasonal collections that get people genuinely excited. It’s the kind of buzz you’d expect from a trainer release, not a four-pack of bog roll. It gives customers something to look forward to and keeps the conversation going between orders. We love the thinking behind it. Most brands treat retention as making the reorder effortless and leave it at that. Who Gives A Crap go further, and give people an actual reason to stay interested.
They’ve grown up without selling out
This is the one that really earns our respect. As brands get bigger, there’s always a pull towards playing it safe and sounding like everyone else. Who Gives A Crap have mostly refused.
Alongside the subscription business, they’ve rolled into UK retail through Tesco, pushing UK revenues to £51.7 million in the year to June 2025, up 13.5% on the year before. But the bit we admire isn’t the growth itself. It’s that they scaled without sanding off the personality that made people fall for them in the first place. Too many brands get more corporate with every step. The best ones know their character is the most valuable thing they own, and they protect it accordingly.
So why does any of this matter?
Because Who Gives A Crap proves you can take the most ordinary product on earth and make people love it, and even recommend it to their mates, as long as you get a few things right.
Purpose gives people a reason to care.
Storytelling gives them a reason to remember you.
Great packaging gives them a reason to share.
Subscription gives them a reason to stay.
Get all four working together and even a four-pack of loo roll becomes something people happily recommend. Because the real product was never really the toilet roll. It was the brand all along.
No boring products, only boring brands. If yours needs a shake-up, let's talk.
