Publicis' first and last Velvet TV spots star bare behinds

A series of naked bottoms accompanied by an invitation to "Love your bum" feature in a Publicis TV campaign for Velvet toilet tissue marking the agency's debut and swansong for the brand.

The £10 million account, won in September last year, was resigned only two months later when the Publicis network gained entry to Procter & Gamble's global roster.

The move will result in Publicis taking on P&G's Charmin, one of Velvet's closest competitors.

Velvet is moving to Fallon, a Publicis Groupe subsidiary.

Tony Kaye directed the 30- and 40-second spots, representing a complete break with earlier work through Roose, which starred a Hyacinth Bucket-type comic character.

Shot in black and white, the films feature bottoms in all shapes and sizes, each of which is accompanied by a one-word description such as "noble", "curvy" or "firmish".

The accompanying soundtrack is an instrumental version of the Perry Como hit A You're Adorable.

Publicis said the campaign was an attempt to overcome the hidebound, strict and old-fashioned conventions surrounding advertising in the category.

Paul Quarry, the writer who produced the commercials with his art director, Pete Gatley, said: "Our brief from the client was to drag it into the 21st century."

Carat is handling media planning and buying for the campaign, which aims to reposition Velvet as a personal care item instead of a household utility product.

SCA Hygiene Products, which makes Velvet, is among the manufacturers trying to stop toilet tissue turning into a commodity market in which own-label products have a 40 per cent share.

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