Love and paper products are inseparable in Kruger’s latest epic take on life’s messiness
Broken Heart Love Affair resumes its ‘Unapologetically Human’ campaign, which first launched at the height of COVID

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The product as bit player in a larger human drama is an interesting soft-sell advertising approach which, when done right, can cast the brand in an appealingly humble light—even if, at the same time, it runs the risk of the product appearing less than central to our everyday existence.
Ikea walks this line pretty well. And so does Kruger, the paper products company in Canada. At the height of COVID in 2020, it released a spot from agency Broken Heart Love Affair that bore witness to the messiness of life—at a time when paper products were proving fairly critical indeed.
Now, BHLA returns with a new epic anthem—similar idea, but against the backdrop of love. Which can get exceedingly messy at time, in all senses of the word.
The agency and client say the campaign addresses nothing short of “what it means to be human”—in a way they believe is unusual in advertising.
“Very few brands are still willing to tell the truth of life. They want to manufacture a version of life with a sense that everyone is happy and that everything is OK,” said Jay Chaney, BHLA partner and chief strategy officer. “That may be true, but it also may not. I give Kruger Products huge credit for being a little bit more real about the experience of being human.”
“The whole campaign is about vulnerability, and nothing in the human experience is more vulnerable and messier than love,” added Denise Rossetto, partner and chief creative officer. “The first campaign set up what the brand stands for, and we’ve branched out with the second campaign to go deeper into what it means to be human.”
Building a brand rather than pushing product benefits is surely a smart strategy is a category where products can easily feel interchangeable. And BHLA certainly excels at these kinds of big-emotion-with-product-in-the-background type of productions.
“When we first launched ‘Unapologetically Human’ at the height of the pandemic, we wanted to spotlight the messy, important moments that make us all human. Our goal was to show the ways in which consumers use our products, whether it’s wiping away tears or cleaning up messes, demonstrating how these experiences unite us all as humans,” said Susan Irving, CMO at Kruger Products. “This sentiment carries forward into this campaign. We wanted to be real about love in all its forms, from the toughness of heartbreak and thrill of first love to the softness and strength of enduring relationships. Our paper products serve as steadfast companions throughout the spectrum of human emotions, supporting individuals in moments of passion, sadness and joy.”
Credits
- Date
- Jun 14, 2023
- Client :
- Kruger Products
- Agency :
- Broken Heart Love Affair
- Chief Marketing Officer :
- Susan Irving
- Vice President Marketing :
- Stephen Blythe
- Marketing Manager :
- Moitrali Ghosh
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Denise Rossetto
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Todd Mackie
- Chief Creative Officer :
- Carlos Moreno
- Chief Strategy Officer :
- Jay Chaney
- Art Director :
- Todd Mackie
- Copywriter :
- Denise Rossetto
- Managing Director :
- Tyler Robson
- Client Success Team :
- Amy Greenspoon
- Client Success Team :
- Kayla Christenson
- Client Success Team :
- Joline Matika
- Client Success Team :
- Maegan Thomas
- SVP Executive Producer :
- Erica Metcalfe
- Production Company :
- Scouts Honour
- Executive Producer :
- Simon Dragland
- Executive Producer :
- Rita Popielak
- Director :
- Mark Zibert
- Director of Photography :
- Mark Zibert
- Director of Photography :
- Eric Kaskens
- Producer :
- Simon Dragland
- Producer :
- Rita Popielak
- Creative Researcher :
- Tricia Zaremba
- Production Service Company :
- Moonlighting
- Executive Producer :
- Shayne Brookstein
- Line Producer :
- Suzanne Currie
- Production Designer :
- Louise Knepscheld
- Costume Designer :
- Catherine De Reuck
- Casting Company :
- Kamikaze Casting
- Casting Director :
- Lee-Ann Hendrickse
- Editorial Company :
- Nimiopere
- Executive Producer :
- Paula Hicks
- Editor :
- Graham Chisholm
- Assistant Editor :
- Griffin Stobbs
- CG & VFX Company :
- Tantrum
- VFX Artist :
- Dominik Bochenski
- Executive Producer :
- Victoria Holt
- Color & Finish :
- Alter Ego
- Colorist :
- Wade Odlum
- Executive Producer :
- Hilda Pereira
- Audio House :
- OSO Audio
- Executive Producer :
- Hannah Graham
- Mix & Sound Design :
- Daenen Bramberger
- Managing Director :
- Katie Seline
- Media Agency :
- Wavemaker
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