BATHTUB CREATIVE

Curiosity agency:  Ashley Walters, Christian Jaekle MacPaw / MacPaw Foundation Team: Julia Petryk

The situation: Following the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, many around the world expected Ukrainians to either flee or quickly concede to Russian forces. Instead, millions fought back. Not only by taking up arms. But by defiantly remaining at home. To maintain a sense of agency under the threat of bombings, they had to get creative. Objectives: Keep the injustice in Ukraine top of mind Raise awareness for Ukrainian working conditions Drive donations to support Ukrainians in need Give Ukrainians a platform to tell their stories We launched Bathtub Creative – a fictional ad agency designed to shed light on the real-life working conditions Ukrainians face while trying to make ends meet in a war zone. For many, that means working from the safest place in their home — the tub. Instead of just telling audiences what Ukrainians are forced to work through — we wanted them to feel it. Most people have never lived in a war zone, but many do have an idea of what it’s like to be cramped, powerless, and uncomfortable. Pushing people to feel that small but visceral connection to this absurd workspace was an emotional engine that drove visitors to take action. The agency we built around this emotion leveraged all the usual ways a hot new shop would enter the arena: a visual ID, a landing page, social presence, and merch (Soap) to raise funds for our Ukrainian friends. Media outputs: Our campaign drew a hugely positive response from the press. Within minutes, our social media strategy caught the attention of the industry's top outlets – earning coverage from Ad Age, Adweek, Muse, LBB, and 13 European outlets. Additionally, our #WorkFromTubDay press efforts spread the word with 38 global stories. Finally, Bathtub Creative earned a coveted slot in Ad Age, Adweek, and MUSE's weekly email blasts –– helping us rack up over 12 million impressions. Target audience outcomes: In today’s fast-paced new cycle, it’s easy for a global injustice to get lost in the shuffle. As coverage began to plateau, Bathtub Creative was able to help reignite support by showing the war from a different angle. Instead of bombs and leveled buildings, Bathtub Creative revealed a different kind of work-from-home environment to our audience. This emotional connection spurred over ten thousand social engagements and drummed up almost $10,000 in donations. And, most importantly to our Ukrainian team, it inspired our target to sit in solidarity with Ukraine by working a full day from their bathtubs. Business outcomes: Our efforts sold 250 ultra-premium bars of soap in one-of-a-kind packaging sold to benefit the MacPaw Foundation. Additionally, #WorkFromTubDay raised $5000 in 24 hours. These efforts raised over $9,200 – allowing us to purchase over 6000 essential toiletries for 800 Ukrainians in need.