Hornbach, the German home improvement retailer known for its humorous advertising, is back with new campaign promoting toilets, this time not with a funny ad but in an "experiential" way.

Agency Heimat has built a special toilet in the middle of Berlin for people to go and try out. Designed to resemble an altar in a cathedral, it features 3D projections, vibrating sound and tactile materials, as well as bathroom-related stuff from the Hornbach product range. 

One hundred guests were invited to take a seat and share their experiences: among them a colon therapist, a scientist and a naturopath, as well as various members of the public, who can be seen sharing their thoughts on the smallest room in the (kind of hilarious) film seen here. 

"‘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," explains Corbinian Hennies, creative director at Heimat.

"A toilet can be so much more than a mere necessity. People can design a toilet they enjoy visiting, and can find peace and quiet there,"  adds Thomas Schnaitmann, Hornbach's head of marketing in Germany and marketing communication worldwide.