Heimat & Hornbach bring the toilet out into the open (in Berlin’s CBD)

The toilet is one of the last taboos, so it was only natural that the Germans would dive in headfirst. It has been given a starring role in D-I-Y retailer, Hornbach’s, new autumn campaign by Heimat Berlin.

Instead of a traditional TV campaign showing aspirational bathrooms, Horbach and Heimat are asking the city of Berlin to experience the toilet. In public. So the partners have built an actual monument, A monument against silence, in Berlin’s city centre, dedicated to the tiny throne of the home. They have created the ultimate toilet right in the middle of Berlin, using just about everything available in the Hornbach product range, combined with 3D projections, vibrating sound and tactile materials.

One hundred specially selected guests have been invited to take a seat and share their experiences. Among them, a colon therapist, a scientist, a naturopath, and various members of the public. The accompanying online-film is a true-to-life documentary chronicling the process of going to the toilet in three parts: retreat, digestion and relief.

“It was important to us to portray the process of going to the toilet as an act of physical and mental contemplation, as well as spiritual cleansing. It was equally important to depict digestion as a creative process, in order to break down inhibitions and start the dialogue. To this end, we built the toilet to resemble an altar in a cathedral,” explained Corbinian Hennies, creative director at Heimat.

“A toilet can be so much more than a mere necessity,” stated Thomas Schnaitmann, head of marketing in Germany and marketing communication worldwide at Hornbach. “People can design a toilet they enjoy visiting, and can find peace and quiet there. By showing what is possible with a little imagination and the HORNBACH product range, we want to inspire people to get creative and turn their own toilet into a monument. The question is: ‘What will you make of your toilet?’”