• The New York Times, Wednesday, November 15, 2006 11:30 AM

Procter & Gamble's Charmin brand of toilet paper will operate a 20-stall public restroom in a converted bar in the heart of Times Square during the holiday shopping season. It will be stocked with Charmin Ultra, and staffed with attendants who will clean up after each use. There will also be a seating lounge, with its own photo-op: A 6-foot stuffed Charmin bear, just waiting to have its picture taken with a visitor.

Charmin reps will be roaming the Times Square streets dressed as toilets, handing out fliers advertising the restroom's location. Electronic billboards at local airports will announce it, too. Charmin will prominently post the location on its Web site.

"Let's face it--there aren't a lot of environments where a bathroom tissue message is relevant," says Dennis Legault, brand manager for Charmin. "But the message is very relevant when people really need to go."

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