Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 6th November 2025 Issue no. 1185
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The unusable washroom - Tork and Publicis London spotlight barriers to inclusive hygiene
Publicis London has launched a new campaign with Tork, to spotlight the hidden barriers to hygiene in public washrooms that impact more than 50% of people every day*.
To bring the reality of these challenges to life and showcase the need for more inclusive hygiene in public washrooms, Publicis London and Tork drew on new global research to design an experiential, non-inclusive washroom which reveals the barriers to inclusive hygiene faced by many people.
The custom-built washroom features appliances including a dispenser serving sand-encrusted hand towels, immovable soap dispenser handles and a deafeningly loud hand dryer, highlighting the challenges these often-overlooked features can present for people managing conditions including neurodiversity, arthritis and eczema. Built to reflect real experiences, the washroom spotlights specific barriers to hygiene through physical discomfort and audio sensitivity.
Spanning digital, social, radio and display, the campaign leads with a 30-second film capturing the public's authentic reactions to the washroom through hidden cameras. Custom social and display executions also feature testimonials written in participants' own words and handwriting to spotlight the personal experiences at the heart of the campaign, which runs across the UK, US, continental Europe and Australasia.
"By highlighting the everyday hygiene barriers people face, we've used creativity as a force for empathy and action," reveals Noël Bunting, chief creative officer, Publicis London. "This is a powerful reminder that even in unexpected categories, bold ideas can challenge perceptions, drive change and make a real difference."
Isabel Dahlberg, Global Master Brand Director, Professional Hygiene, Essity, explains further:
"We believe inclusive restroom hygiene should be accessible to as many people as possible. Supporting inclusive hygiene solutions doesn't just improve user experience - it can also strengthen a business's reputation and lead to increased customer loyalty and revenue. That's why we're committed to raising awareness and driving change, because inclusive hygiene is better for people and businesses."
*Insight based on Tork Insight Survey 2025:
The survey was conducted in the US, UK, Germany, France, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and Poland, among 11,500 members of the general public and 1,000 cleaning staff. Across the 11 countries surveyed, 54% of venue visitors contend with some form of physical or cognitive challenge that can impact their public washroom experience. Respondents reported experiencing, without limitation, diagnosed or self-diagnosed physical/cognitive conditions, e.g. eczema, chronic pain, general anxiety, claustrophobia.
For further information, visit: www.torkglobal.com
Watch the video at: www.youtube.com
9th October 2025