Disrupting the Taboo: How Goodwipes is Rewriting the Rules of CPG Marketing
For most brands, the bathroom is a place best left out of the spotlight. However, Goodwipes has built its identity on the philosophy that the best way to change consumer behavior is to lean into the discomfort. During a session at the Brandweek Brand Doing Cool Sh*t Experience, founders Sam Nebel and Charlie Siciak, alongside SVP of marketing Meredith Diehn, detailed how the brand is successfully challenging the dominance of traditional toilet paper through a blend of disruptive partnerships and unapologetic, humor-driven messaging.
Goodwipes, which originated from the founders’ early days as self-described “baby wipes evangelists” at Florida State University, has moved well beyond its collegiate roots. Today, the brand is scaling by leveraging what Diehn terms as “fame and disruption” strategies. By embracing a mix of “crass” humor and clinical education, the company is attempting to dismantle the social stigma surrounding bathroom habits.
At the core of the brand’s recent success is a series of unconventional collaborations designed to garner attention while highlighting the functional benefits of their products. One such partnership involved the beverage brand Liquid Death, resulting in limited-edition, sCREAM Soda-scented wipes. While the pairing might seem incongruous at first, it aligns with a shared marketing mission: both brands prioritize a bold, memorable identity and a “Death to Dry” ethos. The partnership was further amplified by a “Buttler Sweepstakes,” offering a playful nod to the brand’s goal of making personal hygiene more efficient and comfortable.
Another example of this strategic alignment was an April Fool’s collaboration with the prebiotic soda brand Olipop. The campaign introduced a Peaches & Cream-scented wipe, centered on the tagline, “Treat your butt as good as your gut.” According to Diehn, the collaboration served as a bridge between the gut health benefits promoted by Olipop and the bathroom-centric reality of fiber consumption, creating a narrative that felt authentic to the target audience rather than forced.
Managing this voice requires a delicate balancing act. The internal marketing team, which consists of three in-house creatives working in tandem with external agencies for larger initiatives, focuses on normalizing conversations around bodily functions. Diehn noted that rather than attempting to forge entirely new discourse, the brand looks for existing communities—such as those discussing the “hot girls have IBS” trend or the physiological realities of distance runners—where these topics are already being socialized openly. By meeting consumers where they are, Goodwipes successfully avoids the pitfalls of trying to invent a conversation, choosing instead to join existing ones.
For Goodwipes, the goal is to “rip off the Band-Aid” and give consumers the permission to speak openly about bathroom health. This strategy is not merely about engagement; it is about changing an ingrained daily routine. As the brand looks toward future campaigns, including a holiday push aimed at encouraging stock-ups for hosting guests, the emphasis remains on combining shock value with genuine utility.
Ultimately, the brand’s trajectory serves as a case study in how to approach “taboo” categories. By peeling back the layers of a campaign to reveal the logic beneath the humor, Goodwipes is proving that brands can effectively disrupt legacy industries if they are willing to lean into the trends that larger competitors often avoid. The company continues to prioritize its mission of converting dry paper users into the hydrated category, one bold, humorous, and highly calculated marketing move at a time.
Source: Marketing Dive
