This isn’t the first time we worked with the Catherine McEwan Foundation to disrupt the city with a show-stopping creative idea. Last year, we partnered with them and made headlines with a giant toilet roll billboard in Glasgow city centre.
Now in its second year, our awareness campaign is back—this time with an unforgettable twist.
To mark World IBD Day, we created a head-turning, conversation-starting installation—a reimagined portaloo parked outside Glasgow’s SWG3.
But this was no ordinary portaloo. This was a ‘Portal-Loo’
People suffering with IBD often live with constant anxiety about needing a toilet, keeping them indoors and forcing them into isolation. So we designed this OOH installation to be a sort of ‘portal’ to that reality, inviting the public to ‘sit with’ the realities of living with this chronic disease.
On the outside it was nothing more than an unassuming purple loo. On the inside? A cinema seat and immersive short film, featuring heartfelt messages from the likes of Starsailor, Robyn Red, Callum Beattie, and others—each shedding light on the daily challenges of living with IBD.
Familiar form, new function
Of the half a million people living with IBD in the UK, Scotland records some of the highest rates. These chronic, invisible conditions often bring anxiety, pain, and logistical barriers—especially in public or crowded places like festivals, where simply locating a toilet can become overwhelming.
This touring installation set out to challenge stigma and broaden public understanding, not just of the visceral sense of the difficulties faced by those with IBD, but also of the emotional toll.
Working with Jack Arts, we redefined what outdoor media can be—creating a bold, attention-grabbing moment that cut through the noise, connected on a human level, and caught plenty of attention.
Even things that are meant to be fun, like going to a music festival, can become a source of stress. Many people with IBD just don’t go. The fear of flare-ups, access to toilets, the planning—it’s exhausting. We created this space to help people stop, think, and understand. For some, a festival loo is something to avoid. For others, it’s the reason they miss out entirely.
