Tide's new ad features Kumail Nanjiani in a variety of messy situations.
Procter and Gamble’s Tide has released a major ad campaign featuring actor/comedian Kumail Nanjiani (best known as Dinesh on Silicon Valley and the film The Big Sick) titled “Gonna Need More Tide.” The campaign coincides with the release of Tide Power PODS, which contain 85% more Tide in each pod. The recently released television spot focuses on humorous messy situations that most people can relate to whether created by pets, children or simple accidents. Throughout the spot, Nanjiani unexpectedly pops up in comical situations involving clothes becoming filthy and reminds people that they are “Gonna Need More Tide.”
I spoke with Nanjiani who says he enjoyed filming the ad: “It was very fun to do because I think the idea was so simple and unique— you know it's really one of those ideas as soon as I read it I was like oh that's perfect!” He added that he can personally relate to the ad’s content and appreciated being able to add humor to the situtiations depicted, “...because I'm someone who gets very very upset about messes...I can't really handle it. To me there's nothing funny about it so it was a little bit freeing to somehow in some way reclaim this because for me if I spill something on my shirt it ruins my day.”
The brand’s goal for the campaign was to find a fun and engaging way to let people learn about Tide Power PODS through real-life scenarios and socially-driven content. With laundry and cleaning being hot topics on the internet, including social media sites such as TikTok, Tide’s marketing team saw an opportunity to use relatable moments to reinforce the need for the larger Tide Power PODS product. In addition to broadcast spots, the the ongoing campaign includes social media content, such as shareable memes, videos, gifs, AR lenses and influencers to help encourage user-generated content.
One of the funny "messy situations" from the "Gonna Need More Tide" ad.
As a mass marketed product, Tide is targeting consumers from all walks of life- however there is an emphasis on strengthening the brand with Millennials and Gen Z with goals including expanding awareness, cultural traction, and engagement. The Tide Power PODS product was developed to help consumers more easily deal with everyday messes and high volumes of laundry while getting effective cleaning with every load. As the size of loads in the U.S. is larger than ever before, with consumers washing an average of 45 pounds of laundry each week— partly as a result of waiting longer between loads— the larger product offering makes good sense.
Nanjiani himself believes the product will be a hit, observing, “Yeah, because for me it's always been like there's no such thing as too clean and if you have a larger pod you can put more clothes in at the same time, which means for me fewer trips to the laundry room. You're saving a lot of time it's more efficient....with twice the amount of clothes going at the same time, so to me it's sort of a no brainer—- it's totally so much more efficient.”
My own take on this ad is that it combines excellent creative with a clear product focus and an effective brand differentiating message. Nanjiani is an excellent choice as an endorser due to his comedic talents, and humor is used very effectively. At the same time, a message about the product’s key features (size/volume) and benefits delivered (large loads being cleaned effectively) come though loud and clear even as the viewer is laughing. It seems clear that the campaign will live up to its title in convincing consumers that they are “Gonna Need More Tide.” Hopefully we will see several more ads in this campaign.
