PISCATAWAY, N.J.– The year 2020 was certainly one for the toilet, from canceled vacations and missed parties to murder hornets and the challenges of navigating a global pandemic.
A recent survey commissioned by kitchen and bath brand American Standard, in partnership with Kelton Global, revealed that more than 230 million Americas (95%) can identify at least one thing they wish they could flush down the toilet from 2020, and the brand is giving people that chance. Specifically, American Standard will be giving away limited-edition, customized Flush 2020 toilet paper featuring some of the year’s most flushable moments beginning December 3 at promotions.americanstandard.com/flush2020, providing people with the opportunity to officially flush away the year’s unfortunate events.
To create the custom toilet paper rolls and bring those dreams of flushing 2020 to life, the brand asked Americans to share their thoughts on the most flushable moments of the year. The survey revealed the overwhelming majority – unsurprisingly – wish they could leave behind COVID-19 (87%), with the expression “new normal” (49%), and canceled vacations (41%) rounding out the top three spots. Technology has certainly allowed Americans to stay connected to family and friends after months of social distancing, but it’s clear that most are craving in-real-life moments – nearly 80 million Americans (34%) confess they are ready to part ways with “virtual everything.” Three in 10 Americans (30%) feel the same way about those seriously uncomfortable nasal swabs. While pandemic-related moments took the top spots, about one third (32%) of Americans would also welcome the opportunity to say sayonara to murder hornets. The full list of most flushable moments includes:
- COVID-19 (87%)
- The Phrase “New Normal” (49%)
- Canceled Vacations (41%)
- Virtual Everything (34%)
- Murder Hornets (32%)
- Nasal Swabs (30%)
- Missed Parties (24%)
- The Phrase “You’re on Mute” (19%)
- Birthday Caravans (15%)
“Normally, it would excite us to have a year for the toilet – we’re big toilet people at American Standard. But the realities of 2020 weren’t quite what we had in mind. Given the year’s challenges and uncertainty, we are flushing the turmoil down the toilet and starting fresh with a clean start for the new year,” said Gene Barbato, vice president of marketing for American Standard. “At a time when we could all use a little lighthearted humor, we hope to bring a smile to the faces of everyone ready to leave this year behind. We look forward to flushing 2020.”
American Standard also uncovered some generational and regional differences when it comes to flushable moments. Key takeaways include:
- Baby boomers are more likely than their younger counterparts to want to flush away COVID-19 (91% of Baby Boomers compared to 89% of Gen X, 85% of Millennials and 77% of Gen Z).
- Those living in the Northeast are more likely than Americans in other regions to want to send the phrase “new normal” straight down the commode (54% in the Northeast compared to 50% in the Midwest, 50% in the West and 47% in the South).
- Parents are actually more likely than children to want to flush missed parties down the toilet (28% vs. 22%).
Beginning December 3, those interested in receiving Flush 2020 toilet paper can visit promotions.americanstandard.com/flush2020, where they can enter to win the limited-edition rolls. Giveaways will take place from December 3 through December 14, with the Flush 2020 toilet paper arriving to winners just in time for the new year. Fans are encouraged to share their ceremonial flush on their own social media channels using the hashtag #Flush2020.