For as
long as I can remember, marketing for feminine hygiene products has been pretty
dull and unmemorable, not to mention the fact that it all seems to be the
same. But just when you thought that it
was impossible to bring creativity to the category, two clever marketers have
proven that nothing could be further from the truth.
First
up was Bodyform, a UK maxipad maker. It
started with a Facebook rant by a Brit accusing the company of false
advertising. Richard Neill pointed out
that the happy women portrayed in the company’s ads bore little resemblance to
the possessed little girl from The Exorcist that his girlfriend becomes each
month. The company decided to respond
with a humorous YouTube video apologizing for their use of metaphorical imagery
and falsehoods in their advertising.
I’m
still not sure if Richard and his letter were real, but the exchange was hilarious. And while I don’t have a handle on how sales
have responded, the effort did win a gold Cyber Lion at Cannes this year and my
class said they would be willing to give the product a try.
Here’s
a link to an article that includes both the letter and the video. (Nudd, 2012)
And
here’s just the video.
Next
up is was Hello Flo with its introductory video “The Camp Gyno.” It’s beyond funny. And I have to admit it brings back many
memories of my camp days. And no, I was
not the camp gyno – but I remember her well.
Posted on July 28th, as of today the spot has over 5 million
views. We’ll have to wait and see if
sales follow.
In the
meantime, if you haven’t seen the video you can check it out now.
And
once you finish laughing you can ask yourself, why don’t the big guys do ads
like these?
Nudd,
T. (2012, October 16) See Maxipad Maker Bodyform’s Brilliant Reply
to a Man’s Facebook Rant. adweek.com. Retrieved June 26, 2013 from http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/maxipad-brand-goes-blood-brilliant-reply-facebook-rant-144500
Dobrow,
L. (2013, August 1) “The Camp Gyno”
Brilliantly Introduces Hello Flo Brand To Women. mediapost.com. Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/205918/the-camp-gyno-brilliantly-introduces-hello-flo-b.html#axzz2bPNkoFTz
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