Dive Brief:
- Glad, the maker of trash bags and food wraps, has revived its decades-long campaign, “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad.,” to feature “Sesame Street” icon Oscar the Grouch, according to a press release.
- Key to the campaign is a two-minute spot set to a remix of Oscar’s song “I Love Trash,” that sees the character imagine a world in which everyone enjoys trash as much as he does. Glad products are featured as a way to keep concerns like smelly trash at bay.
- Glad will also dole out Grouch-inspired trash bag totes via a social media giveaway on TikTok and Instagram this month. The revival of "Don't Get Mad. Get Glad.,” which debuted in 1987, follows the recent streaming deal between “Sesame Street” and Netflix.
Dive Insight:
Glad has found a fitting partner in Oscar the Grouch, a trash-loving muppet character from “Sesame Street” who stands as the first non-human celebrity to team with the brand owned by The Clorox Company. The move follows a deal between “Sesame Street” and Netflix in May to air the children’s show on both the streaming platform and PBS, the public television station that has been its home since its debut in 1969.
The latest iteration of "Don't Get Mad. Get Glad.” centers around a musical number about a world in which everyone loves trash as much as Oscar the Grouch. The spot begins with Oscar questioning someone whistling to the song “I Love Trash,” asking, “I thought taking [the trash] out made you mad?,” before being told that with Glad, the experience isn’t half bad. Oscar then dreams up a remix of his song to become “We Love Trash,” complete with over-the-top dancing and numerous Glad products. The spot is directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon.
Glad’s campaign will run in the U.S. and Canada as longform content, in 30- and 15-second cutdowns, and as social teasers on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Reddit. The marketer also created limited-edition trash bag totes that consumers can enter to win via a social media giveaway on TikTok and Instagram. The focus on social media could help Glad connect with younger audiences who feel nostalgic for “Sesame Street” at a time where many are still establishing their own brand preferences.
Rounding out its efforts, Glad in April will offer Glad ForceFlex with Gain bags in special edition Oscar the Grouch-branded boxes at Walmart, per release details. Products featured in the brand’s campaign include Glad ForceFlex with Gain and Glad Cherry Blossom.
Glad’s move to revive its “Don’t Get Mad. Get Glad” effort arrives as others, like Sprite, Gatorade and Maybelline, put fresh energy into iconic campaigns of the past. The Clorox Company reported a net sales decline of 19% to $1.43 billion during the first quarter of its fiscal year 2026, which ended Sept. 30. The decline is primarily driven by lower shipments related to its transition to a new enterprise resource planning system.
The move of “Sesame Street” to Netflix allows the series to reach a global audience of over 300 million paid subscribers while still being available on PBS for public access. Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO and HBO Max streaming platform served as distribution partners for “Sesame Street” for years, but the contract ended in December 2024. The series’ switch to Netflix also follows President Donald Trump ending federal funding for PBS in May. “Sesame Street” is managed by the global nonprofit Sesame Workshop.
