• by Erik Oster , October 30, 2023

Advertising for cleaning products typically hews to a standard formula: Show a small spill or mess in an otherwise immaculate home, then introduce the product as the solution, implying such mythic levels of home cleanliness are attainable by purchasing the brand.

A new campaign for CLR Brands’ family of cleaning products takes a different approach, keeping things a little more real by showcasing the kind of gross messes the brand claims it can easily handle, but which typically aren't shown in ads. Think grimy faucets, gross garbage disposals, unsightly toilet situations, mold and mildew, and you’ve got the idea. In service of such authenticity, there was even someone hired just to make a mess!

The work is the first from the CLR Brands' new agency of record, Minneapolis-based Quad-owned agency Periscope. It marks the agency’s first work in the category, which may have helped bring a willingness to try new approaches.

“CLR Brands has long been known for cleaners capable of defeating the toughest stains and messes, so we leaned into a campaign that showcased authentic examples of the biggest offenders people encounter around their home,” Periscope CCO Mike Caguin told Marketing Daily. “We even had an expert ‘gunk guy’ on set to create genuine mold, mildew and lime deposits to show CLR Brands taking on -- and taking out -- a variety of household messes not often shown in cleaning product commercials.”

Caguin said the campaign attempted to introduce a “boldly confident new voice for the brand” while reinforcing the ability of its products to tackle tough cleaning challenges.

The brand’s new tagline -- “Been There, Outdone That” -- delivered in a gruff voiceover, speaks to the strategy of upping the brand swagger. The authentic grossness approach also nods to a TikTok trend of cleaning hack videos.

The national campaign debuted on Oct. 19, and is running across channels including national broadcast TV, digital, social, display, in-store and online. Quad sister agency Rise Interactive handles media for CLR Brands.