Love is Messy

Kruger Products launches new ‘Love is Messy’ campaign, expanding on its award-winning “Unapologetically Human” platform

Breaking category conventions yet again, latest multi-brand campaign from Broken Heart Love Affair celebrates love in all its messy, unpredictable, and inspiring forms

Kruger Products, Canada's leading paper manufacturer of Cashmere®, Purex®, Scotties®’, and SpongeTowels®, today launched a new multi-brand campaign in Canada as part of its “Unapologetically Human” platform, which first aired in 2020 as a celebration of humanity. This latest edition explores how life can be messy, offering viewers an opportunity to embrace the ups and downs that come with love.

"When we first launched Unapologetically Human at the height of the pandemic, we wanted to spotlight the messy, important moments that make us all human. Our goal was to show the ways in which consumers use our products, whether it's wiping away tears or cleaning up messes, demonstrating how these experiences unite us all as humans," said Susan Irving, CMO at Kruger Products. “This sentiment carries forward into this campaign, as we recognize that while life can be messy, love can be messier. We wanted to be real about love in all its forms, from the toughness of heartbreak and thrill of first love to the softness and strength of enduring relationships. Our paper products serve as steadfast companions throughout the spectrum of human emotions, supporting individuals in moments of passion, sadness, and joy.”

The campaign’s hero spot shines a light on love in all its guises—from its tentative first beginnings, to its slow blossoming, occasional acrimony, reconciliation, marriage, and the messy in between. The spot begins with young people’s first stirrings of infatuation, from passing a note in class, to tentatively touching hands on the playground, and sly glances in the hallway. As the spot progresses, the depictions of love grow more intense, from passionate stolen kisses to arguments followed by making up. It takes viewers on a journey through life’s moments, from getting married to becoming new parents to growing old together.

“Very few brands are still willing to tell the truth of life. They want to manufacture a version of life with a sense that everyone is happy and that everything is okay,” said Jay Chaney, Partner and Chief Strategy officer at Broken Heart Love Affair, the creative agency behind the campaign. “That may be true, but it also may not. I give Kruger Products huge credit for being a little bit more real about the experience of being human.”

References to Kruger Products brands, including Cashmere®, Purex®, Scotties®’, and SpongeTowels®, are subtly interwoven throughout the spot, like a note passed on a piece of paper towel, a lipstick kiss accompanied by a phone number on a napkin, or tissues being used to wipe away tears of joy and distress. When it comes to life’s messy moments, Kruger Products is there for consumers with brands that make everyday life more comfortable.

“The whole campaign is about vulnerability, and nothing in the human experience is more vulnerable and messier than love,” said Denise Rossetto, Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Broken Heart Love Affair. “The first campaign set-up what the brand stands for, and we’ve branched out with the second campaign to go deeper into what it means to be human.”

The ‘Love is Messy’ campaign launches on June 12 with a 60-second hero spot, followed by a series of brand-specific ads running across national TV, connected TV, online video, and social. It is supported by key communications partners, including Broken Heart Love Affair (Strategy/Creative), Wavemaker Canada (Media), and North Strategic (Public Relations).