
Words matter in the advertising world, but the public will have its say, and it usually prevails.
When Purex Paper Products (okay, it was toilet paper) described their product as “quilted” and “embossed,” consumers thought to themselves: ‘wrinkled.’
What Purex identified as “textured” buyers saw as ‘wrinkled.’
The various “squiggle’ patterns on the sheets? Wrinkles.
For this post, we’re going straight to the point (someone get the smelling salts), but we are compelled to offer some background: Purex toilet paper is manufactured by the Caxton Printing Work owned by the Spencer Family of New Zealand. The nearly 100 year old business was the only manufacturer of toilet tissue in New Zealand in the 1950s, and at this point, we direct anyone interested in more history to visit this link.
In the early 1990s, Purex introduced a Chinese Shar Pei puppy named “Rolly” as their mascot for toilet paper in New Zealand. By all accounts, the choice of a Shar Pei was likely due to the breed’s distinctive wrinkled skin — a clever visual connection to the soft, pliable nature of toilet paper.
Rolly’s popularity jettisoned into the universe with a series of memorable television commercials that began airing in the 1990s. Below are a few of them:
The Purex commercials with Rolly were so successful that they increased the visibility and popularity of the Shar Pei breed in New Zealand and Australia in a big way. The toilet paper increased sales, and Rolly became a household name in the country. Rolly’s image on Purex packaging lasted for decades, and as of this writing, Rolly is still featured on Purex toilet paper packaging. In fact, a January 2025 Instagram post from the official Rolly Purex account mentions that “Collectable Rollys are back for 2024!!” You can have your own!