Who Gives A Crap toilet paper has reimagined the iconic children’s book Winnie-The-Pooh in an effort to shed light on the global impact of deforestation.
Winnie-The-Pooh: The Deforested Edition, created in collaboration with Eleven and TBWA\Melbourne, maintains author A.A.Milne’s original narrative alongside illustrations depicting the environmental consequences of land clearance for traditional toilet paper production. The iconic Hundred Acre Wood, once lush and home to Pooh and friends, is now portrayed with felled tree stumps, illustrating the widespread impact of deforestation.
Maria Chilewicz, head of brand management at Who Gives A Crap, said the book aimed to create emotional connections with consumers. “With over one million trees destroyed every day to make traditional toilet paper, we knew we needed something special to break through the noise and make a genuine impact.”
TBWA\Melbourne creative directors Harrison Webster and Max Reed stressed the responsibility of reworking a classic like Pooh. They mentioned, “It was vital that these books were beautifully crafted, sustainable, and as close to the original as possible. This way, families can still get lost in the whimsical world of A.A. Milne’s Pooh, while taking away this important message.”
Winnie-The-Pooh: The Deforested Edition is created sustainably, using recycled paper. Proceeds from the campaign support Who Gives A Crap’s WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) partners, contributing to global clean water and sanitation initiatives.
The global creative and strategy for the campaign was led by Eleven and TBWA\Melbourne in collaboration with sister agencies TBWA\Chiat\Day and UK agency Fanclub. LA-based Paper Chase Press managed book printing and distribution exclusively for the US market.
The reimagined classic sold out in the United States within 48 hours, it is part of a growing list of books and films undergoing controversial updates for modern relevance. Who Gives A Crap, however, attests to being the first to adapt classic literature in order to address environmental changes.
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