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— PROJECT NAME
Potty Mouth
— PROJECT TYPE
Unbranded Disease Awareness Campaign for Rotavirus
— ROLE
Copy Supervisor
— CLIENT
Merck & Co. Inc.
— DATE
November 2019
The Problem
Rotavirus remains a life-threatening illness for unvaccinated infants, causing severe diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and—in the most serious cases—death. Despite this, protection against rotavirus is often deprioritized in favor of other vaccines perceived as “more essential.”
Parents who don’t see rotavirus as an urgent threat are less likely to vaccinate their children, especially when they believe exposure is limited to public spaces, not realizing that the virus is more often contracted at home.
The Strategy
Jolt parents out of complacency by showing the very real, very unpleasant symptoms of rotavirus in a raw, unfiltered way. Instead of softening the message, the campaign embraced blunt, visceral language to make the severity of the illness—and the discomfort it causes—impossible to ignore.
The Idea
Pottymouth—a provocative, symptom-forward campaign using bold, censored profanity to capture attention and communicate the distress of rotavirus infection.
Each headline serves as a graphic, exaggerated “quote” from an infant suffering the effects of rotavirus, making the stakes painfully clear.
The Execution
- Hero Headlines: Unapologetically direct lines like “WHY THE F*CK AM I SH#TING SO MUCH?” and “MAN, MY A**HOLE BURNS” paired with urgent vaccine messaging.
- Visual Style: Large, distressed typography in high-contrast layouts to maximize stopping power.
- Educational Layer: Beneath the shock factor, concise medical facts explained how rotavirus spreads—emphasizing that it’s more likely to be contracted at home than in public spaces.
- Call-to-Action: Directed parents to speak with their doctor about vaccination as the most effective form of protection.