The 90-year-old feminine care brand, Kotex, Is saying, "out with the old clique tampon ads" Kotex is fed up with the conspicuously euphemistic menstrual product ads and are ready to stop playing games and start telling the truth. Along with the release of their new product, U by Kotex, Kotex is launching a whole new series of ads. This ad campaign is designed to poke fun at the average yoga instructor, white horse riding, dancing girl that is the center of most tampon ads. Mr. Meurer, of Kotex stated, “We’re changing our brand equity to stand for truth and transparency and progressive vaginal care.” The hope of Kotex is to show women that they are sick of the ambiguous tampon-talk, and they are read to get down to business and have a conversation that matters.
This advertising campaign is refreshingly counter-cultural to most ads and ad campaigns. Kotex is basically saying with these ads that,"we're sick of making stupid commercials in order to sell our product. In fact, our commercials have nothing to do with the issue we are addressing." They are a company that is starting to go beyond selling a product and is standing up for something. They think it is about time to stop beating around the bush and say what everyone already knows. Media scholars contend that a bulk of networks get revenue from T.V advertising. Likewise, these advertisements are put in place to sell a product. They both rely on each others interests and most of the time the interests of the general public get put aside. Kotex, in their new ad campaign, is saying," screw the networks, lets think of the American people, girls in particular." I think this is highly commendable and it would be nice if this trend caught on.
So you might be saying, why should I care? Especially guys out there. Yeah, I don't even buy tampons. Well lets hope not! The point is this, rarely do advertising companies develop an ad campaign with the best interest of the people in mind. They normally make campaigns with the best interest of peoples wallet in mind and the wallets of the company. Kotex is stepping out on a limb and making a statement. WE DON"T CARE WHAT PEOPLE THINK! Lets all stop these ambiguous claims and get to the heart of the matter. Sure tampons are gross and having your period sucks, so why the white yoga pants, fake smile, and dancing shoes? This isn't the way women feel on their period. You know were full of B.S, we know were full of B.S, so why don't we just cut the B.S and start telling the truth. I commend Kotex for this and hopefully they are the first of many companies to feature truthful, non-bull ads.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/business/media/16adco.html?ref=media
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ReplyDeleteThat seems like a brilliant marketing move to me. Being part of their target audience, I would say that I definitely feel more inclined to buy Kotex products because of this change in their advertising.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do always feel skeptical when a successful company like Kotex appears to be "counter-cultural". I don't think they would really take a HUGE risk to sell a product in the name of some feminist conviction, but creating interest around that "risk" definitely hypes interest. They probably figured this would actually boost their sales among younger women especially.
It is really good to see that a company can make money without making women feel ridiculous (those old commercials with the stupid blue liquid always make me roll my eyes). It is definitely refreshing to see a tampon/pad advertisement that doesn't take the subject of periods so seriously!