Goodwipes has never been shy about its ultimate corporate ambition: to completely dethrone what its leadership playfully calls "Big Toilet Paper." What started years ago as a grassroots effort by founders Sam Nebel and Charlie Siciak—who operated as self-described "baby wipes evangelists" on the Florida State University campus back when discussing personal wiping habits was still widely considered a taboo—has evolved into a full-scale marketing insurgency.
The brand’s unconventional rise to prominence took center stage during a recent Brandweek Brand Doing Cool Sh*t Experience session. During the panel, Nebel and Goodwipes Senior Vice President of Marketing Meredith Diehn detailed how the company continues to leverage shock humor, irreverent branding, and highly unexpected cross-industry partnerships to disrupt a multi-billion-dollar legacy industry that has remained largely unchanged for generations.
At the heart of Goodwipes’ modern marketing strategy are collaborations that initially leave consumers scratching their heads before revealing a clever underlying logic. Recent high-profile campaigns have included an unorthodox team-up with beverage brand Liquid Death, resulting in limited-edition, sCREAM Soda-scented wipes. The partnership also spawned the buzzy "Buttler Sweepstakes," which offered one fortunate customer the ultimate luxury: a live-in personal butt-wiper. Unified by the shared and aggressive tagline "Death to Dry," the collaboration highlighted both brands’ parallel commitments to hydration, albeit in drastically different consumer categories.
"Sometimes it doesn’t necessarily make sense at first glance, and that’s the whole point," Diehn explained during the Brandweek session. "We want that little bit of shock value, and then when you peel back the layers you say, ‘Oh wait, this actually does make a lot of sense.’"
According to Diehn, partnerships of this caliber are meticulously designed to achieve two distinct strategic objectives for the growing brand: driving widespread fame and instigating meaningful industry disruption. Behind these provocative stunts is a nimble internal marketing ecosystem. Goodwipes crafts its campaigns using an in-house creative team consisting of three dedicated creatives, who then collaborate with outside agencies when scaling up for larger, multi-channel initiatives.
The brand’s knack for unexpected alignment was further demonstrated earlier this year when Goodwipes approached prebiotic soda brand Olipop for an April Fool’s Day collaboration. What began as a playful brand stunt ultimately yielded a surprisingly clear and natural through-line. The campaign introduced a limited-edition wipe scent directly inspired by Olipop’s popular Peaches & Cream flavor, anchored by the catchy tagline, "Treat your butt as good as your gut."
Given that Olipop heavily emphasizes the vital role of dietary fiber in maintaining digestive health and a balanced gut microbiome, the conceptual bridge to bathroom habits and personal hygiene proved to be a natural fit, Diehn noted.
Yet, marketing products meant for intimate personal hygiene comes with its own unique set of cultural hurdles. Diehn elaborated on the delicate ongoing tightrope walk the brand must perform: striking a precise balance between "crass" bathroom humor and straightforward, clinical explanations of actual butt health. Persuading consumers to fundamentally alter an everyday, deeply ingrained personal habit is a formidable challenge on its own. Compounding that difficulty is the cultural baggage attached to discussing bodily functions openly, adding an entirely separate layer of societal taboo.
"It’s almost like the brand needs to rip off the Band-Aid and give the permission to have the conversation," Diehn said, emphasizing that these dialogues need to extend far beyond whispered private discussions.
In many instances, successfully navigating this cultural landscape is simply a matter of tuning into conversations that consumers are already having across digital spaces. Diehn pointed to emerging cultural "mini-moments"—such as the viral online trend acknowledging that "hot girls have IBS," or the increasingly open online discussions among endurance runners detailing bathroom emergencies during races—where modern online communities have come together to discuss the realities of human biology with zero hesitation or shame.
"We’ve found these little cohorts where we can speak authentically and have the conversations that are already being had, without trying to create a new one," Diehn said.
Looking ahead, the momentum shows no signs of slowing down. Goodwipes is already preparing its next major marketing push, which is slated to roll out around the upcoming holiday season. The upcoming campaign will focus on reminding consumers to stock up on essential bathroom supplies well before holiday houseguests arrive to stay.
