In 2025, Charmin hit a major milestone: the planting of the brand’s 1 millionth tree in forests affected by natural disasters. But even a number as big as 1 million can feel like just... a number. On its own, it may not convey the type of impact made, nor its scale, failing to deliver the tremendous work done with communities in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation.
Adding to the challenge, the climate—both literal and cultural—was tricky. With skepticism around corporate sustainability rising and wildfires blazing, the topic of forests was more sensitive than ever, and people were looking for real impact. It was not a time for the bears to beat their furry chests—it was a moment to humbly communicate and build context for the milestone.
Charmin’s goal? Help people understand what 1 million trees means—and give them a story to connect with. We set out to turn this big, round number into something that could communicate our impact all while staying rooted in the brand’s playful spirit.
During a moment of skepticism, our top KPI wasn’t just reach—it was reception. So, we watched sentiment like a hawk, or a bear. Our goal: 29 million impressions and 90% positive or neutral social comments.
For Charmin, our answer was clear: stay honest and true to the values that made us a household name. We knew this moment wasn’t just about trees—it was about continuing to build trust by showing the impact made within our pledge.
The average person doesn’t know what planting 1 million trees looks like, so we needed to make it tangible. Our strategy: connect the dots between Charmin’s sustainability efforts and the real-world impact on land, lives and communities. We partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to ground the campaign in credibility and local relevance, especially in wildfire-affected areas of California.
We also knew Earth Month was a timely cultural moment to plant a campaign that could educate, inspire and entertain our key demographic—Gen Z and Millennials. Our approach focused on three key levers:
Internally, we knew our most passionate brand ambassadors were our own employees. So we celebrated the milestone during Earth Week at P&G offices, building pride and reinforcing Charmin’s commitment to sustainability from the inside out. We turned P&G offices into a celebration of sustainability. From mirror messages to elevator takeovers, we made reforestation front and center in the office. Our “Tree-via” trivia game doubled participation from the previous year and 100% of attendees said they felt more informed about Charmin’s sustainability work.
We didn’t just plant 1 million trees—we planted a forest of impressions that kept Charmin sustainability efforts top of mind. These 35.9 million impressions surpassed our KPI by 23%. The campaign resonated with Charmin’s audiences, as the brand received recognition for its forest restoration work—naturally growing affinity.
But in this highly scrutinized climate, sentiment was our North Star—and it stayed strong. With comments like, “It’s so refreshing to see big brands caring. Happy Earth Day!” and “I, too, have seen the destruction from so many rampant wildfires. This is awesome that they’re helping replant so many! Love this!” pouring in.
Organic Instagram content saw 100% positive sentiment, while boosted content on TikTok received 90% positive/neutral sentiment, delivering on our most important metric, given the volatility around surrounding sustainability topics: staying at 90% positive/neutral sentiment or above. Plus, owned social resulted in a roughly 50% lift in engagement and impressions from the previous year’s sustainability-related content.
Strategic partnerships with three nature enthusiasts proved successful with their dedicated audiences, resulting in increased engagement YOY and 100% positive/neutral sentiment on organic content.
With this program, we captured attention for Charmin’s sustainability actions—from social feeds to office floors—sparking conversations and boosting brand love. And we know we’ll keep going, with Charmin and the Arbor Day Foundation at work to define Act 2—our favorite number—for a new milestone of impact to come.
