The problem
Q-tips entered a category invented by a four-year-old brand whose towel is eucalyptus viscose, and built on the fear of the dirty towel. Repeating that fear would have put a 103-year-old cotton icon in line behind the brand that got there first.
The position we took
Build from the one ground only Q-tips can own: 100% cotton, backed by a century of cotton authority. The idea takes that standard seriously enough to have fun with it. Your face has standards. Your face towel should too.
What we made
Eleven hero concepts across paid social from awareness to conversion, retail display for Amazon and Walmart, a hero film and an image bank. Lines like “100% Cotton. 0% Ick.” and “Stop drying your face with yesterday’s towel.” carry the tone. Models and product were shot live; the set was extended digitally into backgrounds, compositions and effects a fixed-scope launch could not have afforded otherwise.
Status
Live in the US and Canada since August 2026.
The job was to move Q-tips from cotton tool to cotton beauty essential. Underneath the humour sits a claim the competition cannot answer: number one in cotton, in a category whose inventor is not cotton at all.
Project information
- Launch Campaign
- Beauty & Personal Care
- 2026
Q-tips (Evermark)
Other projects
Something worth making?
Talk to the people who’ll make it → hello@matter-energy.com