This year’s SXSW had many quirks, one of the most notable being the presence of a large, inflatable poop emoji. Inside this pop-up pile was a colorful light show, where DJ beats pumped over a relaxation area replete with couch cushions, flowers, and a porcelain toilet filled to the brim with aromatics.
The reason for this bizarre series of decorations was due to SXSW’s partnership with toilet spray company ~Pourri, which, at a time when SXSW is facing difficulties with sponsors, decided to go all-out in supporting the festival. This included not one, but two spaces devoted to promoting the brand, as well as ever-present advertisements and events featuring the likes of DJ Questlove and Janelle Monáe this weekend.
For context, ~Pourri are the Texas-based creators of toilet spray that minimizes odors after using the bathroom. The company says it is worth over $400 million, and at this year’s SXSW, it offered numerous perks for attendees, including free hot dogs and complimentary toilet sprays that allowed guests to sign up to win perks from the company.
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to bring our funky visions to life at SXSW this year,” said Suzy Batiz, CEO of ~Pourri, in a press release. “This collaboration is truly reflective of our commitment as a company to transform life’s stinkiest moments into an experience of joy and freshness.”
In addition, the company used SXSW to begin a podcast, called HOLY SH*T w/Suzy, hosted by Batiz. The initial episode was recorded at SXSW and featured guests Janelle Monáe and Natasha Diggs.
The apparent mission of all this, as Batiz stated, is to reframe the bathroom experience, using SXSW as a platform to get people from the worlds of music, tech, and beyond onboard with the conversation about changing how everyday people view going to the bathroom.
Whether this was effective is open to interpretation, but the brand did have several major hiccups in the implementation of this idea at the festival.
For example, the Daily Dot attended what was supposed to be a DJ set from artist DJ Johnny Jane a.k.a. Janelle Monáe. Quickly, the lack of organization was apparent; while camera operators and PAs flooded the dancefloor and surrounding areas, there was little understanding among the attendees about where Monáe would be performing, or if they would be performing at all.
After an opening DJ came to get the crowd going by playing tracks from the likes of Kanye West, the music stopped, and there was a major rush from attendees to get drinks from the limited bar staff. More hip-hop music began to blast over the speakers, and still, there was little understanding about how the event would play out next.
At one point, someone associated with the production hopped onstage to hype up the crowd, later bringing what appeared to be a random guest up to do the same thing. Not only were these attempts met with dwindling enthusiasm, but what this person failed to mention was that Monáe was actually going to be playing on the rooftop—a move that had everyone who eventually learned of the decision piled into the narrow hallway that led upstairs.
The situation quickly became tense, and soon, the fire marshall arrived to shut the doors to the roof. The same worker who had been hyping people up minutes earlier was now telling guests that there was “no way you’re getting up there.”
Those who had been waiting began to leave as best as they could given the narrow walkway, and anyone who was not already on the roof—some of whom had been already at the venue for hours—decided to pour out of the building and forward to the many other events offered by SXSW. More than one person in attendance was overheard describing the experience as “[expletive]’d up.”
This was not a universal experience for ~Pourri events. Others who had attended performances like that of DJ Questlove in the same space did not describe similar issues, and those visiting ~Pourri’s space with the inflatable poop emoji, dubbed “Camp Funk,” appeared to have a largely positive time.
Still, the ~Pourri experience shows some of the pitfalls that companies can face while partnering with the festival, and while SXSW is facing numerous conflicts between sponsors and guests, better navigation of these partnerships, spaces, and artists is desperately needed to ensure the ongoing success of the festival.