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Taking Swipes at New Yorkers' Wipes
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 27, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 27, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Yes, it's true, a huge billboard of people's butts with smiley faces drawn on them will go up in Times Square next week. Why are the butts so happy? Because they use bathroom fixture manufacturer Toto's "Washlet" cleaning system - a toilet seat-like attachment. Maybe the Charmin Family Experience bathrooms in Times Square inspired Toto to go after New Yorkers.
Toto has a website, cleanishappy.com, that offers testimonials showcases various Washlet models (think warm toilet seats, warm air dryer, a cleansing wand, air purifiers and a remote control as options). Toto told WCBS 2, "We introduced this kind of lighthearted campaign to really get people to stop and think amount about something they take for granted and they may not have thought about for sometime." Not to mention that New Yorkers don't really have room for a separate bidet.
The billboard will go up between July 1 and July 9, and apparently "officials from Toto will have toilets on hand for anyone to have a seat and try out their product." Hmm. And CNET reviewed the S300 model: "The good: Bolt-on design fits most toilets; amazing number of useful settings; wireless remote. The bad: Plumbing can be a little ugly once installed; expensive."
Tagged
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News: NYC
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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