• by Karl Greenberg , June 5, 2015

Clorox Company's new ads for its household cleaning products are kind of picaresque; but they are very Pixar-esque. They even include Pixar characters from the Disney production studio's new “Inside Out” film. Well, that's because Pixar made the ads, and they are part of Clorox’s cross-promotional partnership around the film, premiering June 19, aimed at reaching parents. It also represents a bona fide brand campaign, while supporting Clorox wipes, cleaners and bleach products. 

Two TV spots detail how Clorox is a first line of defense against germs. In the first spot, timed with the film's release, dad, holding cookware, bumps into his daughter in the kitchen, and uncooked chicken cutlets go sailing. Raw cutlets on the floor equal jailbreak for God knows what salmonella variants, a point expressed by the characters from the movie, who watch with horror. “When life gets messy, get Clorox,” the V.O. says. 

The second spot, timed with the fall DVD release of the movie -- and of course, flu season -- has dad sneezing on his daughter's computer. Both spots end with a tag for the movie. The characters are also featured in social media elements on Twitter and Pinterest.

Molly Steinkrauss, associate marketing director at the Oakland, Calif.-based company, tells Marketing Daily that Disney approached Clorox directly with the idea. “We have done different work with Disney, but from a brand perspective, this is the first time that all Clorox equity cleaning brands have come together,” she says. “It's all about building affinity and positive association with Clorox by aligning with the best [entertainment company/production house] in the business.” She adds that Ketchum, AKQA, UEG, OMD, Critical Mass, and retail agency TPN were the agencies involved, while “Pixar put it together and worked directly with Clorox.” 

Clorox is also sponsoring a sweepstakes for a family trip to San Francisco and shopping spree at the Disney store. And the company is taking the campaign to point-of-purchase with a 5,000-store retail activation in cleaning aisles timed with the premiere. There is also a national activation at Sam’s Club in mid-June.

Separately, and on the sports front, Clorox is now sponsor of the U.S. Women’s National Team, and is supporting the partnership through a social media campaign, #GreatAssist. It includes a minute-long video in which members of the soccer team talk about who it was in their lives who offered a “great assist.” Extending the program through early July, Clorox is asking people to share their favorite #GreatAssist person, product or tip for the chance to win products from Clorox. The partnership goes beyond the company core cleaning brand and products to include brands like Glad, Hidden Valley and Kingsford. 

“We found something nice in the idea of #GreatAssist because we want to be more than just a logo,” says Steinkrauss. The company also has a corporate partnership with its hometown Golden State Warriors, that involves multiple Clorox brands with in-store activations, she notes. 

“We want to align with properties that parents resonate with, whether it's shared content on Huffington Post [a program Clorox launched in March], or Pixar and the ‘Great Assist’ program. We are always looking for partners that support the positioning that we help empower family moments; that we have your back.”