Summon the Strongest,

Brawny—the iconic paper towel brand known for its plaid-clad strongman—has launched a major new brand platform, “Summon the Strongest,” signaling a reinvention of both product and persona.

The fully integrated campaign introduces Brawny 3-Ply, the strongest product in the brand’s history, and debuts a newly cast, real-life Brawny Man—complete with a face, a voice, and a role in culture for the first time ever. Once a torso or a voice in the sky, the Brawny Man has been reimagined as a fully realized character who can show up in media, conversations, and cultural moments—evolving an iconic asset into something charming, modern, and undeniably strong.

The core creative idea and brand platform was developed by creative agency JOAN, and marks the brand’s biggest creative shift in years. JOAN led the brand strategy, core creative concept, and evergreen social strategy across its divisions while Weber Shandwick brought it to life across social activations and influencer channels, including viral executions with Bachelor alum Rachael Kirkconnell on TikTok and Instagram.

Launching May 5 across CTV, OTT, digital, social, and audio, the campaign leans into tangible product superiority with Brawny 3-Ply—designed to hold more liquid for longer—positioning Brawny as a powerful challenger in the household category.

The launch of Summon the Strongest marks a pivotal shift for the Georgia Pacific brand with a clear mandate: breathe fresh creative energy into legacy brands and rebuild cultural relevance at scale. Brawny is the first brand to reflect this vision, with a campaign designed to do far more than launch a new product. While the introduction of Brawny 3-Ply—its strongest paper towel ever—anchors the work, the broader goal is to reassert Brawny as a category leader in both function and cultural relevance. The campaign modernizes one of the most recognizable brand icons by giving the Brawny Man a voice, a face, and a role in real cultural conversation. It disrupts Bounty’s long-standing dominance through tangible product superiority, aims to win back shelf space by making Brawny a must-stock item, and positions the brand as socially fluent and shareable—ensuring Brawny has a meaningful presence beyond the paper towel aisle.

Still clad in flannel and grounded in the familiar, this new version of the Brawny Man brings a fresh sense of relevance and relatability while staying true to his iconic roots.

The Campaign Elements:
The full campaign rollout includes broadcast, digital, and social executions, with influencers and creators interpreting what “Summon the Strongest” means in their own lives—from parents juggling the chaos of everyday life to community leaders creating impact through quiet resilience.
Whether facing everyday spills or life’s unexpected messes, the campaign reframes Brawny not just as a kitchen staple, but as a symbol of resilient support—something you can call on anytime, anywhere.
The campaign’s heart beats in cinematic hero films that reimagine how the mythical Brawny Man enters our world:
“Treehouse” drops us into a child’s soda-and-popcorn-fueled disaster. With one yell of “Braww-nyyy” into a paper towel roll, the kids summon the Brawny Man, who arrives Jack-and-the-Beanstalk style through the treehouse window to bring order—with the power of 3-Ply.

“The Birthday” depicts the aftermath of a 40th birthday gone sideways—cake on the ceiling, glitter on the couch, and ranch in places it should never be. With time running out before the kids return, the Brawny Man swoops in to restore order, underscoring the product’s power and the emotional relief that comes with it.

The films are supported by a social first activation developed with Weber Shandwick, who led an influencer campaign in conjunction with JOAN’s “always on” organic social work to bring the new brand ethos to life across digital channels. Together, the two agencies orchestrated a modern brand refresh that honored Brawny’s heritage while giving it cultural traction among today’s consumers.