I would like to say this is a joke but it is not. Read the link and learn about how you can earn $10,000, if chosen, to blog from inside a branded bathroom (yes, a branded bathroom) in Times Square on behalf of Charmin. In my time in marketing I have come up with and participated in some odd marketing campaigns but this one is way out there.

http://mashable.com/2009/10/21/charmin-enjoy-the-go/

Ha! That's pretty funny and... clever. Times square during the holiday season is a mad house. Popping up some branded doo doo stations and getting five bloggers to talk about your product for five weeks could prove to be worthwhile.

Thanks for sharing this link. I was cracking up. Since this is a social media campaign, imagine if users also post "pictures" and "audio/video" of their experience. This could mean bring advertising or buzz as media people call it, but it sure will be lots of "crap" as well. :-)

In reading the original story it seems the impetus for this campaign is people with a need to share using their web-enabled phones to update the world through Twitter and Facebook about their bathroom habits. I hope to god these people do not offer me the use of their phones in an emergency. My reaction would be that of Elaine when George had the book he brought into the bathroom at their table in the coffee shop. BIOHAZARD!!!

Yes, it actually becomes a public health hazard, especially in the days of H1N1 flu virus. I just hope other brands dont follow suit.