Andrew Kim, Matt Elliott and John Miyoshi are the three partners behind Toilet Paper — a concept shop with a name that came to Kim in the most honest place possible: the bathroom. “The first thing that I saw was toilet paper, and then it just stuck with me,” he explains. “Everybody needs toilet paper.” That universality became the foundation for a creative agency built on bold ideas, impossible-to-ignore work and a refusal to play it safe. With a core team of three and a collective model that scales to over 100, Toilet Paper operates on a simple belief: start with the concept, and everything else follows.
The name that launched a thousand puns
The name came from the bathroom, but the logic behind it is sharp. As an indie agency, standing out isn’t optional — it’s survival. Kim needed something impossible to forget, capable of launching a thousand puns and bold enough to signal exactly what kind of shop this would be.
They once brought branded toilet paper rolls to a major industry conference, left them in bathrooms and almost got kicked out. That’s not guerrilla marketing — it’s a values statement.
Concept-first, everything else second
Toilet Paper calls itself a “concept shop” and that distinction matters. “We’re known for coming up with bold, strong, creative ideas and creative concepts,” Elliott says, “but concepts that are really rooted in strategy.” They never start with tactics or channels — always with the idea.
That core concept becomes the North Star for everything that follows, whether it’s influencer programs, activations or content strategy. The approach keeps work cohesive and prevents the scattered execution that plagues so many campaigns.
Three things: concepts, creators and no red tape
First, the concept-first philosophy — never starting with the how before nailing the what. Second, TP AMP (Toilet Paper Affiliate Marketing Program), which activates creators at scale on TikTok and Instagram with measurable results, particularly powerful for brands entering the U.S. market or new categories.
Third, the indie advantage: flexibility and speed without bureaucracy. “We can move quickly and make things happen as quickly as our clients want,” Elliott says. No layers, no approvals from three time zones away, no watering down ideas through committee review.
Ideas don’t survive committees
Being indie isn’t just about size — it’s about structure and values. Miyoshi explains: “We don’t want those extra layers of approval, like the typical agency model. That helps us speed up the process.” More importantly, it preserves the integrity of ideas.
“If we believe something is the right idea for a client, we can move on it very quickly and make sure ideas aren’t watered down,” Elliott says. The indie community itself has proven invaluable — Kim credits fellow indies for everything from HR recommendations to financial services.
If you want safe, look elsewhere
Elliott delivers this without apology: “If there are brands out there looking to stay safe and be very conservative with concepts or ideas, we’re probably not the best partner for you.” Toilet Paper exists to push envelopes and make clients uncomfortable — in a good way.
Kim frames it differently: they want work that’s “impossible to ignore, but not louder — more in a smarter way.” The shop targets that 1-2% of every brand that wants to be the bandit, the bad boy, even when the brand itself skews serious. The best relationships are built on radical transparency — when brands bring Toilet Paper all the way in, magic happens.
75 creatives in a Slack channel and a sense of humor
The core team is three partners, but Toilet Paper operates with a collective model that expands based on project needs — anywhere from 10 to over 100 people. Kim runs Fact Collective, a community of 75+ creatives who gather to discuss work and jump on projects when their skills align.
“We want everyone to have a voice and ownership of the work,” Elliott explains. “We blur the lines in terms of lanes because we generally don’t have them.” Everyone contributes ideas, everyone does the work. With a name like Toilet Paper, fun isn’t optional — it’s foundational.
Bacon, egg and cheese on an everything bagel
Asked to choose between weirdos, misfits or underdogs, the answer is all of the above. Elliott settles on “underdogs with a good sense of humor.”
Kim delivers the summary: “Think of it as bacon, egg and cheese on everything bagel with ketchup, salt and pepper all together, smushed with hot black coffee. We’re definitely weirdos — we call ourselves Toilet Paper. We’re misfits because we love puns and produce uncomfortable stuff that makes you call legal. And we’re underdogs because we’re indies and nobody knows us.”
Dear marketers: lose the legal team
Kim’s closing challenge to brands says everything about what Toilet Paper stands for: “Make sure you have your legal team, or better yet, don’t. We’re ready to make the buzz.” For an agency named after something everyone needs, the pitch is universal — if you want people talking, they’re listening.
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Toilet Paper Andrew Kim LinkedIn Contact: wearetoiletpaper.com/contact
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