Pilot Flying J Turns Bathrooms Into TV Stars

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — One year after investing $50 million to renovate its bathrooms, Pilot Flying J is putting them in pictures.

The travel center operator's new integrated marketing campaign features its bathrooms in a 30-second TV spot and in one of its four print ads, according to Adweek.

Whitney Johnson, vice president of brand and consumer experience, explained that though shining a spotlight on the bathrooms was not easy it was necessary. 

"There's nothing hugely sexy and glamorous about travel centers along the interstate, and restrooms are a hard thing to showcase," she said. "But they're important to customers and especially families."

According to the report, the key driver behind the campaign is the family. In the past, Pilot Flying J has focused on professional drivers; however, the new push is designed to appeal to families — customers who Johnson affectionately refers to as "four-wheeled customers."

The TV commercial, created by 3 Sons Media, features a family on a road trip. The boredom of the road is lifted when they stop at a Pilot travel center where they find free Wi-Fi, a variety of food options and "clean, modern bathrooms."

In 2015, Pilot Flying J began a $50-million initiative to upgrade the bathrooms at all of its locations. The upgrades include Italian tile, LED lighting, low-water consumption toilets and eco-friendly hand dryers, as CSNews Online previously reported.

The company also spent $50 million over the past three years to upgrade its shower facilities. 

In addition to the TV spot, Pilot Flying J is going to print with four ads, created by Erwin Penland. The ads feature the gourmet coffee program and the new myPilot app.

Knoxville-based Pilot Flying J operates more than 650 travel centers in North America.