• by Aaron Baar , October 28, 2016

It’s no secret that cats are the stars of the Internet. At some point, it’s probably better to join them than try to beat them. 

Playing off the homophone of its name, Persil ProClean laundry detergent has launched a digital and social media campaign, #Purrsil, celebrating cats and laundry. 

The effort includes an online video created by agency TBWA\Chiat\Day that illustrates how the brand has been observing the “connoisseurs of clean: cats.” As a group of cats interact with clean piles of laundry, washing machines and detergent while a voiceover wonders whether they’re attracted to “the clean, the scent, or … the name.” The spot closes with the line “Even the pickiest cats pick Persil.” (The campaign also included a teaser video showing cute kittens falling asleep among piles of clean laundry.)

“When you get down to it, cats are the epitome of clean -- their discerning nature makes them the toughest of critics, and there’s something about fresh laundry that they can’t resist,”  Janell Holas, vice president of marketing for the U.S. Premium Laundry Detergents business unit at Persil parent Henkel North America, tells Marketing Daily. “They also drive more traffic than any other pet category on YouTube.  Our tongue-in-cheek #Purrsil campaign continues to establish Persil ProClean as the premium detergent of choice for connoisseurs of clean, be it kitten or human.” 

The video includes a call-to-action for consumers to join in the brand’s charitable effort to support animal shelters across the country by registering barcodes from purchased bottles of Persil on their PersilDonates.com Web site. For every bottle registered, the brand will donate a bottle of detergent to the shelters to ensure clean fresh bedding for the shelter cats. 

The video will be promoted on digital and social channels. Other outreach efforts will include outreach to “cat-loving lifestyle influencers” and some famous cats to spread the word in social channels. In November, the brand will kick off a search for an official “Spokescat” with the opportunity for consumers to submit photos of their own felines with a signature Persil bowtie filter. 

“Our bullseye target audience is a group of discerning moms who only want the best when it comes to their family,” Holas says. “We all know that social feeds are full of cat content at any given time, so it was vital that our campaign filled social with cuteness for engagement at every touchpoint.”