Domtar has released four new 30-second spots to remind consumers that in a digital world, some things still look better on paper. The videos mark the latest installment in the paper company’s PAPERbecause campaign, which launched in 2010.
The new series of witty videos imagines how challenging everyday scenarios would become without paper products. In one video, a waiter at a restaurant forgets his table’s order because he did not write it down on a notepad. In another, a wife is disappointed when her husband sends an e-greeting on their anniversary. According to a statement, PAPERbecause takes “a humorous approach to highlight the irreplaceable value of paper.”
Kathy Wholley, director of advertising and communications at Domtar, said she knows the pro-paper message is tough to sell in a market constantly going more digital, but the message is a crucial one for the industry. “Electronic substitution has hit just about every segment that we serve,” she said. “The industry is not growing. It is declining. What we’re trying to do is slow the decline.”
Wholley added that striking a balance between print and digital is important not only for the paper business, but for the way people live and communicate. “We started noticing paper becoming vilified—’it’s wasteful and it’s out of touch and it’s not used in schools anymore.’ But there are so many applications for paper that are still useful, even when used in balance with digital. We wanted to do something about these myths.”
PAPERbecause does not explicitly promote any of Domtar’s brands or products, and instead advocates for the industry as a whole. Wholley said spreading a broader message is precisely the point. “We very purposely did not make this a Domtar reputation campaign,” she said. “This a paper-advocacy campaign.”
The videos will debut in March on Domtar’s website, YouTube and Facebook pages, as well as in print and online at The New York Times, National Geographic and Fast Company.
The irony of using websites to promote paper is not lost on Wholley, who reiterated that balance is key.
“Some people find it interesting that we’re putting banner ads and videos online,” she said. “But we’re not opposed to everything that’s not paper. We’re just in support of balance, and using paper when it makes sense.”
