Charmin

Charmin is a toilet-paper brand launched in the United States in 1928 by the Hoberg Paper Company of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The brand name was created on April 19, 1928, and initially formed part of a broader paper-products business that also made bath tissue, paper napkins, and related household paper goods. In 1950, Hoberg Paper Company adopted the name Charmin Paper Company, linking the corporate identity more closely to its best-known consumer brand. Procter & Gamble acquired Charmin Paper Company in 1957, bringing the brand into one of the world's largest consumer-goods portfolios. The brand's central marketing proposition has historically been softness. In the mid-twentieth century, Charmin's advertising agency developed a way to communicate a tactile product benefit through television: consumers were encouraged to squeeze the package or roll to judge its softness, while a fictional shopkeeper humorously objected to the handling. This idea became the basis for the long-running Mr. Whipple campaign. Actor Dick Wilson played the fictional grocer George Whipple in more than 500 American advertisements between 1964 and 1985. The character returned in advertising during 1999 and 2000, helping preserve one of the most recognizable advertising phrases associated with a household product: the warning not to squeeze the Charmin. The campaign also entered popular culture, including a 1967 country song whose title was inspired by the advertising line. Charmin subsequently shifted from the Mr. Whipple character to the Charmin Bear family. The bears were created for advertising in Britain and introduced in the United States in 2000. The original mascot was a light-brown bear; three cubs were added in 2001, and later product differentiation used blue bears for the softer Ultra Soft line and red bears for the stronger Ultra Strong line. The bears became part of the packaging in 2004, and a revised logo incorporating flecks of toilet paper appeared in 2010. Advertising built around the bears was known as the “Call of Nature” campaign, with commercials animated by Joanna Quinn from 2000 through 2014. Charmin has also experienced geographic portfolio changes. Charmin Ultra was previously known as White Cloud until 1993. In 2008, Procter & Gamble sold its European Charmin operations and product line to SCA, which renamed the European products Cushelle. As a result, the Charmin name became primarily associated with the North American market rather than representing a single continuing product line across Europe and North America. Environmental sourcing has been a recurring issue for the brand. Greenpeace advised consumers not to use Charmin in 2009, criticizing the environmental implications of its paper sourcing. Charmin was reported as certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance by 2018. In 2019, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Stand.earth nevertheless criticized the brand's continued reliance on forest fiber, including material sourced from Canada's boreal forest, and reported that a petition asking Procter & Gamble to change its practices had received substantial public support. Charmin remains an active household-paper brand owned by Procter & Gamble. Its identity combines a mass-market toilet-paper offering, product claims centered on softness and strength, extensive character-based advertising, and packaging and design changes intended to respond to consumer use. In October 2023, Procter & Gamble announced a redesigned Charmin Ultra Soft sheet with scalloped edges, citing complaints that the previous straight-edged design did not tear smoothly.

Charmin originated with the Hoberg Paper Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Charmin name was created on April 19, 1928, for a paper-products business whose range included bath tissue, paper napkins, and other household paper goods. The company later made the brand central to its corporate identity: in 1950, Hoberg Paper Company changed its name to Charmin Paper Company. Procter & Gamble acquired Charmin Paper Company in 1957. The acquisition placed Charmin within P&G's expanding portfolio of consumer brands and established the company as the brand's long-term owner. Charmin Ultra was previously marketed under the name White Cloud and was renamed by 1993. The brand's early advertising strategy focused on softness, a benefit that was difficult to demonstrate on television. Its agency developed a comic retail scenario in which shoppers were implicitly invited to assess the product's softness by squeezing it, while a fictional grocer objected to their handling of the merchandise. Actor Dick Wilson played Mr. George Whipple in the resulting American campaign. The character appeared in more than 500 advertisements from 1964 to 1985 and returned for a further period in 1999 and 2000. The phrase associated with the campaign became a durable part of American advertising culture and inspired a 1967 country song. Charmin later replaced Mr. Whipple with animated bear characters. The Charmin Bear was created by the British agency D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles and introduced in the United States in 2000. A family structure developed around the mascot: cubs were added in 2001, the bears became packaging elements in 2004, and blue and red bear families were used to distinguish softer and stronger product propositions by 2007. The advertising platform was called “Call of Nature.” Commercials produced between 2000 and 2014 were animated by Joanna Quinn. A logo update in 2010 added flecks of toilet paper to the bears. Charmin's international footprint changed in 2008, when Procter & Gamble sold its European operations and product line to SCA. Those European products were renamed Cushelle, separating the European business from the Charmin identity used in North America. Environmental questions became a prominent part of the brand's public record in the late 2000s and 2010s. Greenpeace criticized Charmin in 2009. By 2018, the brand was reported as carrying Forest Stewardship Council and Rainforest Alliance certifications. In 2019, however, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Stand.earth argued that the brand continued to depend heavily on forest fiber, including fiber from Canada's boreal forest. Their criticism and a related petition directed at Procter & Gamble placed sourcing practices alongside softness and strength as important parts of Charmin's public discussion. In October 2023, Procter & Gamble announced a design change for Charmin Ultra Soft toilet paper. The new design used scalloped sheet edges, an alteration presented as a response to consumer complaints about the tearing performance of the former straight-edged design. Charmin continues as an active Procter & Gamble toilet-paper brand, with its identity shaped by product-tier differentiation, recognizable mascots, humor-based advertising, and ongoing attention to packaging and sourcing.

1. 2023Scalloped-edge Ultra Soft design announced

   Procter & Gamble announced a Charmin Ultra Soft design with scalloped edges to improve tearing.

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2. 2010Charmin Bear logo updated

   The brand updated its logo by adding flecks of toilet paper to the bear imagery.

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3. 2008European Charmin operations sold and renamed

   Procter & Gamble sold its European Charmin operations and product line to SCA, which renamed the products Cushelle.

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4. 2000Charmin Bear introduced in the United States

   The animated Charmin Bear replaced Mr. Whipple as the brand's principal advertising mascot in the United States.

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5. 1993White Cloud became Charmin Ultra

   The product later known as Charmin Ultra had previously been marketed as White Cloud.

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6. 1964Mr. Whipple advertising campaign began

   Dick Wilson began appearing as fictional grocer Mr. George Whipple in the long-running American campaign.

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7. 1957Procter & Gamble acquired Charmin Paper Company

   Procter & Gamble purchased Charmin Paper Company and became the brand's owner.

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8. 1950Hoberg adopted the Charmin Paper Company name

   Hoberg Paper Company changed its corporate name to Charmin Paper Company.

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9. 1928Charmin name created

   The Hoberg Paper Company created the Charmin name on April 19, 1928, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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A mainstream North American toilet-paper brand positioned around comfort, softness, dependable strength, family-oriented mascots, and memorable humor-led advertising.

• Charmin Ultra SoftToilet paper

  Charmin Ultra Soft is the brand's softness-oriented toilet-paper line. It was associated with the blue Charmin Bear family in the brand's later advertising and packaging system. In 2023, Procter & Gamble announced a redesigned sheet with scalloped edges, describing the change as a response to complaints about the previous straight-edged format not tearing smoothly.

• Charmin Ultra StrongToilet paper

  Charmin Ultra Strong is the brand's strength-oriented toilet-paper line. The product tier was represented in later Charmin advertising and packaging by red bears, contrasting with the blue bears used for the Ultra Soft family. The available reference material does not specify a precise launch date or complete product specification.

• CharminBath tissue1928

  The original Charmin range centered on bath tissue and other household paper products. The brand's long-term consumer identity developed around toilet paper, with softness and strength serving as the principal product distinctions in later marketing.

• 2000Call of Nature

  United States · United Kingdom

  Charmin shifted its advertising focus from Mr. Whipple to an animated family of Charmin Bears. The campaign used character storytelling to represent the brand's household and family positioning.

  Outcome. The bears became enduring advertising and packaging assets, with distinct blue and red families later used to differentiate softness and strength.

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• 1964Please Don't Squeeze the Charmin

  United States

  Actor Dick Wilson portrayed the fictional grocer George Whipple, who objected when shoppers squeezed Charmin products to test their softness. The campaign ran in its main form for more than two decades and used humor to make a tactile product benefit understandable through television.

  Outcome. The campaign became one of the most recognizable advertising platforms in the U.S. tissue category and returned in 1999–2000.

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• 2023Redesign of Charmin Ultra Soft sheetsOther

  Consumers had complained that the earlier straight-edged sheet design did not tear smoothly.

  What changed. Procter & Gamble announced a new Charmin Ultra Soft design with scalloped edges.

  Aftermath. The change was presented as a functional packaging and product-design response; the reference material does not provide subsequent sales or market data.

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• 2008Sale of European Charmin operationsM&A

  Procter & Gamble sold its European Charmin operations and product line to SCA.

  What changed. SCA acquired the European business and renamed the products Cushelle.

  Aftermath. The Charmin name became primarily associated with the North American market rather than continuing as the name of the acquired European line.

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• 2023Procter & Gamble announced a redesigned Charmin Ultra Soft sheet

  Procter & Gamble announced scalloped edges for a new Charmin Ultra Soft design, responding to complaints that the former straight-edged sheets did not tear smoothly.

  Product generationProduct launch
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• 2019Environmental groups criticized Charmin's forest-fiber sourcing

  The Natural Resources Defense Council and Stand.earth reported that Charmin toilet paper continued to rely almost exclusively on forest fiber, including fiber associated with Canada's boreal forest. The groups also cited a petition directed at Procter & Gamble.

  Other
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• 2018Charmin reported forest-related certifications

  Charmin was reported as certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance.

  Regulation
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• 2009Greenpeace criticized Charmin's environmental impact

  Greenpeace advised consumers not to use Charmin, raising concerns about the environmental consequences of the brand's toilet-paper production and sourcing.

  Other
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1. Charmin