The archive · Advertising · Marketing decision · 2025–2026
Andrex turns the first school poo into a triumphant skateboard hero film — D&AD 2026
Andrex turns the first school poo into a heroic skateboard run — 76% of UK kids hold theirs in, and after the ad 96% of parents talked.
Andrex (Kimberly-Clark)
What it had to solve
Andrex research found 76% of UK schoolchildren hold their poo in at school, 30% skip lunch to avoid it and 45% hold it to the point of physical pain — with 63% worried about being teased, embarrassment was the main barrier, putting nearly 2.59 million children at risk of health problems.
How it works
Andrex research found that 76% of UK schoolchildren hold their poo in at school, 30% skip lunch because it might make them poo, and 45% have held it to the point of physical pain — driven by embarrassment, with 63% of pupils worrying about being teased. That put nearly 2.59 million children at risk of long-term issues like constipation.
As part of its 'Get Comfortable' platform, Andrex and FCB London launched 'Conquer the First School Poo' in May 2025. The hero film reframes the moment as a triumph: a boy accidentally farts in class, then spots the Andrex puppy, pulls out a roll of toilet paper and skateboards through the school to the toilets while classmates cheer and chant — turning shame into a celebration of courage.
The campaign was deliberately multi-channel: OOH placements turned the toilet trip into 'a badge of bravery', social activity and an online hub gave parents practical guidance, and a Made for Mums partnership brought in teachers, parents and psychologists to normalise the conversation — especially for secondary-school-age children.
The film earned D&AD 2026 Graphite Pencils for Casting and for Direction, British Arrows, an AICP Post Award for Comedy and a Thinkboxes gold, while 96% of parents who saw the campaign said they had already or planned to speak to their children about toilet habits — evidence the taboo could be moved.
Why it lands
- The insight was real and quantified — 76% of kids holding their poo in — so the humour sat on top of a genuine health problem.
- Making the child the hero of a triumphant skateboard run flipped the embarrassment script instead of lecturing kids.
- Turning a private moment into a chantable public celebration gave children a story to own and parents a reason to share.
- Partnering with Made for Mums and real experts moved the idea from advertising into parenting resources.
What it did
After seeing the campaign, 96% of parents said they had already or planned to speak to their children about toilet habits; the film won D&AD 2026 Graphite Pencils for Casting and Direction, British Arrows, an AICP Post Award and the Thinkboxes TV creativity award.
What you can take
A taboo subject is a category opportunity: making the first school poo a triumphant, funny moment turned private embarrassment into shared parenting conversation.
Since then
The campaign ran across TV, VOD, OOH and social in the UK through 2025 as the next step in Andrex's 'Get Comfortable' platform, which began in 2024. It won D&AD 2026 Graphite Pencils (Casting/Film and Direction/Short Form), British Arrows, the AICP Post Awards Comedy category and the Thinkboxes award for TV creativity, and pushed school-toilet embarrassment into mainstream parenting conversation — with 96% of parents reporting they acted on it.
Sources
- Andrex - Conquer the First School Poo — D&AD Awards archive
- Andrex Flushes Away School Poo Shame
- Andrex: Conquer The First School Poo (case study)
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