2008 Kotex Beaver Ad

Early this year, Kotex was almost forced to pull off one of its ads from air. The ad features an attractive woman and her pet beaver doing a range of everyday activities such as eating lunch, having their nails done and being gawked at by men on a beach. The ad ends with the tagline “You’ve only got one. So for the ultimate care down there, make it U”. While the ad was designated to raise awareness of vaginal health, viewers are offended by the language and references to the beaver.

In fact, this ad was produced after Kotex has realized (via research) that women in the age group of 18-24 had 181 alternatives names for their vagina and 94 per cent said they used nicknames for their own genitals. The term “beaver” was the 11th-most used by the people surveyed.

Here is the beaver in the tampon advertisement, enjoy.

2000

Above: Boys and Menstrual Pads

The third wave of feminism emerges in the 1980s and it is still continuing today. Born with the privileges that first and second feminists have fought got, third wave feminists generally see themselves equally capable, strong and assertive as men. Women then are already earning over half of the master’s degrees and increasingly they entered into professions such as law, medicine and business. Their increasing financial independence and aspiration for a quality of life make them want to be empowered and proud of their femininity. Therefore, in line with the change, feminine hygiene product advertisements have also began to serve as a barometer for a social striving for homogeneity. Therefore, they have come up with a new tactic, which is the appearance of men instead of women.

The change in marketing strategy is to run parallel to changes in women especially in the modern society. Therefore, it aims to portray a man’s admiration and respect for women’s independence, intelligence and empowerment. These are qualities that traditional menstrual pads adverts failed to identify. Menstruation used to be a persistent taboo and an issue closely linked to feminism. Therefore, if one were to view the advertisements from another perspective, masculinity can also be seen to be under some kind of threat.

The adverts also reflect a new phenomenon where there is a shifting of the “monthly problem” to the men. In year 2000, there is a series of Netherlands advertisements titled “Boys and Menstrual Pads”. In Figure one, statistics are shown to display men’s understanding on menstruation. The questions range from the basic scientific aspects to menstrual products and the results in general are not desirable. For instance, 13% of them thought that menstrual pads are thicker than it is in reality. Therefore, the other adverts in the same series featured man explicitly showing the menstrual pad and the captions also demonstrate their initial ignorance. The whole idea behind the adverts is to encourage men to understand the biological and emotional changes that occur during women’s menstruation. This is so because gradually more women seek understanding and comforting from their men during their time of the month. Though, at the same time, women are also starting to use PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) as an excuse to gain an upper hand.

1970s

The 1970s proved to be a schizophrenic decade for women and in no way was this situation more clearly exemplified than in the Kotex ads of the decade. The ads of 1972, 1974 and 1978 managed to portray the optimism as well as melancholy prevalent in the 70s. The 70s also heralded the second wave of feminism which affirmed the differences between female and male.

At first glance, this ad from 1972 with its dark background and watermarked letter conveys a sense of elegance and class, and this idea of magnificence and grandeur is further communicated by the scene of the sun setting over the horizon of the sea. The model in the ad also exudes culture and refinement with her subtle pout and make up, no doubt a cue from Audrey Hepburn immortalised in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, released in 1961. Interestingly, the motifs of the sea, twilight and darkness are all synonymous with the idea of ‘woman’.

However, going deeper, we would realise that behind this facade of luxury and grace, hides a more troubled and despondent time. 1972 was a year of violence, scandal and disappointment. The Kent State Shootings on May 4 on student protestors and the Munich Massacre on September 5 by terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics underscore the dark times faced by mothers, daughter, wives and girlfriends. Furthermore, the spectre of the ongoing Vietnam War and its mounting death toll still hung over the United States. The apt tagline of the ad “Womanhood – pain, birth, happiness” highlights the stoic courage women at the time must have needed to move on with life in face of these tragedies.

1974 was an epoch in the in the lives of Americans and of American women. This ad with its constant reference to ‘peace’ and ‘freedom’ and the image of a happy, grinning woman is in stark contrast with the earlier 1972 ad. 1974 was a year of political upheavals, with Nixon resigning on Aug 9, effectively bringing closure to the Watergate Scandal which has tainted the presidency for close to 2 years. The signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 officially put an end to the Vietnam Wars and its tremendous cost in American lives. Thus, can it be any wonder that 1974 was a year of peace, both from war and from political turmoil which had plagued the US for so long. However, what was particularly of significance to women then was the 1973 Supreme Court Ruling in Roe vs. Wade. This landmark case made anti-abortion laws in the US a constitutional violation and effectively gave women the ultimate choice to decide on life itself. The caption in the ad, to be myself all of the time”, dramatically highlighted this new found freedom women now have in making decisions regarding family planning.

Above: There's never been a better time to be a woman

1978 capped off what must be regarded as a very successful and defining decade for the American woman. This ad, with its bold caption stating that “there’s never a better time to be a woman” neatly sums up this view. In fact, it was such a good time to be a woman that the United Nations made 1975 the International Year of Women.

1960s

Above: Kotex is Confidence

The beginning of the 60s started with a new slogan “Kotex is confidence”. As seen in this series of ads, the type of clothing worn by the women was not confined to that of a typical home-marker look. The women were dressed in various outfits corresponding to their lifestyles outside their homes, with the central theme being that women had more of a role to play outside their family and that they are ready for the world outside. Additionally, the women photographed were seen to be looking at something or somewhere else and not having a direct visual with the audience’s eyes. They appeared to be captured in motion and unaware of being photographed. This adds to the portrayal of an image of the easiness of women in their own skin. From this two signifiers, that of the dressing and the gaze of the women, it can be said that the ads are either a reinforcement of the notion that women have indeed become more secure and comfortable with their position in society or that the ads are acting as an agent of change, trying to put forward such a mindset about women in society. With the emergence of the second wave of the feminist movement coupled with the fact that the ads connotes the notion of the audience taking a “peak” into the lives of these women, the signified meaning would be to inform women that now, the 60s, is the time when women step out of the traditional role of a housewife and become confident about their status in society. Kotex wanted to challenge the hegemony of men to focus more attention on women and their needs in order to increase their sales. Lastly, this series of ads also do show how the initial taboo of the unspoken-ness of Kotex napkins and the embarrassment that comes along has slowly but surely been broken.

Left: 1969 ad Right: Kotex Soft Impressions

In the second half of the 1960s, Kotex introduced a new type of sanitary napkins, Kotex Soft-Impressions, with a series of ads similar to that of a high fashion editorial shoot. The introductory period of the ads in 1966 and 1967 focused more on explaining the benefits of this new type of Kotex napkins as seen from the heavily worded ads. Although there was more text in these ads as compared to the ads in the beginning of the 1960s, a similarity shared was that the space occupied by text remained at about a quarter of the page, with the centre of attention still focused on the women. On the other hand, towards the end of the 60s, the ads in 1969 saw a change in Kotex ads through its use of wordplay, which, had not been done previously. The text was short and its font size consistent. In addition, the choice of words also signalled a new change in the attitude of women of the 60s. This was seen in the ads in 1969. Coupled with the clothes worn by the women which were very fashionable and the fact that the women were looking straight into the eyes of the audience, these signifiers showed women as being more confident and self-assured as compared to the portrayal of women in the earlier half of the 1960s and it also presented a celebration of the many positive qualities of a woman.

It can thus be seen through the Kotex ads that in this decade, women had progress from being comfortable and confident about their position in society into celebrating their feminine characteristics and showcasing it to the world. The 1960s thus marked the affirmation of women and them not requiring men to affirm their status anymore, as portrayed in the ads of the 50s.

1950s

Above: Not a shadow of a doubt with Kotex

In 1950s, Kotex ran a series of print ads with a slogan “Not a shadow of a doubt with Kotex” that centered on building women’s self confidence with Kotex, which was historically relevant considering the period these ads were printed in.

During WWII, men were forced to leave behind their jobs, while women had to step up to fill in the gaps in the workforce. As a result, in the post-war era of 1950s, the traditional roles of women (as housewives and mothers) shifted, as more women joined the workforce. However, although the proportion of working wives tripled from 1940, the average women’s salaries were only less than 60% of men’s – and indication of how society still perceived that women were considered inferior to men in the workforce.

As such, many women began to feel insecure of holding the responsibilities that men once took up. Kotex advertisements tapped on this insecurity and portrayed advertisements that might be seen as a disaffiliation to the present societal view towards women.

In this series, the clothes worn are an indication of the cultures of that time. The figure of women is always prominently placed at the foreground, with all of them dressed fashionably in different occasions, while at least one man is looking at her in the background. As the women pose in a relaxed, confident and elegant manner, the man would gaze at her, connoting a confident woman – whom we assume to be using Kotex – that man adores and looks up to. Or, ironically, the image connotes the lack of confidence and the need for acceptance for women at that time, and Kotex was a solution to these problems.

This advertising image yields a linguistic message as well, through its tagline. In the series of images, the man at the background would always face the back of the women, who are not showing a hint of any doubt or insecurity. This, as Kotex wants to achieve, shows that Kotex gives the women confidence even if anyone looks at them from behind.

“Not a shadow of a doubt with Kotex” connotes the invisibility of Kotex pads that are worn, as well as the confidence that Kotex gives women from using their products.

Above: Are you in the Know?

In another series of informative print ads, “Are you in the know?“, Kotex focused on their teenage markets, targeting the advertisements on teenage girls and the issues they faced at that moment in 1950s.

The linguistic message in the ads is heavy; it denotes the various use of Kotex in everyday life of a teenage girl. But the advertisement also connotes that such information might not be readily available to teenagers and Kotex – like in the earlier decades – took up the matriarchal responsibility to inform teenage girls of the issues and different situations they often faced. It might appear that in 1950s, people were still conscious to discuss these issues openly in public.

The third series of advertisements in the 1950s no longer centered on the psychological selling point of using Kotex, but more on the quality and technical aspects of the product. The captions “New and softest ever… New Kotex with Wondersoft covering- the most comfortable, most absorbent napkin ever designed” denote the more advanced technology put in producing better sanitary pads, but also connote that women became more concerned with the comfort of wearing Kotex, not so much on the societal stigma of wearing it; there was a clear shift in women’s and societal views with regard to using Kotex in the late 1950s.

1940s

Above：Very Personally Yours

However, this cultural taboo gradually diminished in the 1940s with publication of puberty and menstruating booklets. Kotex came up with small booklets, to educate young girls undergoing puberty about the changes in their body and how to deal with it and everything they needed to know about how to use a sanitary napkin. They titled it ‘very personally yours’ which gives woman a more intimate and personalized feel. The publication of these booklets thus opened up channels for discussion about women having their periods, making it more widely discussed and thus not so much a taboo topic anymore. In addition, these booklets were also aimed to improve relationships between a mother and daughter as they encourage mothers to give their daughters these to help them understand why their body is undergoing massive changes. Hence, the puberty and menstruating booklets provided an avenue not only for mothers and daughters to communicate better; it also enabled sanitary napkins to be more widely talked about in society.

The usage of sanitary napkins to foster better relationships between mother and daughter was also evident in one of the Kotex advertisements in the 1940s. The advertisement is segmented into two parts, one focusing on the thoughts of a mother who wishes that her daughter would ‘avoid extremes in makeup’ but is unsure of how to help her daughter feel better about herself. Kotex thus offers the solution for mothers to tell their daughters to use Kotex ‘because Kotex has flat, pressed ends that never show…never give away her secret’. In another part of the advertisement, it shows a girl wishing that her mother would be more fashionable, and the advert encourages young girls to give their mothers a chance to share their experience about ‘difficult days’ during their period. Hence, the advertisement was aimed at not only advertising the sanitary napkins, but also in helping with the family movement to foster better ties between mother and daughter.

Left: Why was I born a Woman? Right: It just isn't Fair!

Kotex sanitary pads were also a tool in helping woman to feel more confident about themselves and thus aided in the rise of woman power in the working world. America entered World War II for the very first time in 1942, after the bombing of Pearl Habour. As a result, men were forced to leave behind their jobs and fight for the country. In view of this, women stepped up to replace them, entering the working world for the very first time. As it was their virgin experience in the workforce, women were naturally not very confident of themselves in carrying out what used to men’s tasks. Kotex ads thus used the notion of building self confidence in women as a selling point, for their sanitary pads. In one of the Kotex ads in the 1940s, the opening line was ‘Why was I born a woman?’ and a girl was shown feeling perplexed and angry over the fact that because she is a girl she has to have her period and thus deprived of going out and have fun. Following this, the advertisement tells consumers ‘Stop feeling sorry for yourself!’ and ‘to be sure on difficult days, you need the kind of confidence Kotex sanitary napkins give’. Kotex thus provides women with a solution to feeling insecure and uncomfortable on their period days, allowing women to function better at work. At the same time, through feeling comfortable, women will be able to carry out their tasks at work with more self confidence of their actions, contributing to the rise in woman power in the working world over the years. Hence, because of the war women were given the opportunity to get out to work and this shaped the way Kotex advertised for their sanitary napkins. They played on building self confidence as a catch for women to buy their products.

1920s-1930s

Left: To Save Men's Lives Science Discovered Right: Simplify the Laundress Problem

The years of post World War I and the ratification of women’s suffrage in 1920 both mark as significant events in paving the way for increased opportunities for women. More importantly, it also paved the way for freedom from storing and washing cotton pads monthly, as it saw the commercialization of the first ever disposable sanitary pads manufactured by Kotex.

Originally the brainchild of The Kimberly-Clark Corporation which made bandages for American troops in Europe during the war-torn years, they found the potential of cellulose wrappings in their absorbency and relatively cheap price, in the process spurning a market for easy disposable pads.

However, the breakthrough of such an invention was not without difficulty, and if one were to analyze the presentation of the early Kotex ads, we would immediately be able to identify the challenges the company, many of which are non-existent today.

For one, the cultural taboos associated with menstruation were clear, as seen from the way the ads were presented down to the naming of it (i.e. Ko-tex “Cotton and texture” respectively in attempt to avoid obviousness). The prototype ad in around 1920 was in fact centered on men as seen in the tagline “To Save Men’s Lives Science Discovered” and was in fact rejected by the admen because there were “too many men for a product designed for women”. In fact, such was the sensitivity that “when Kotex was launched, it was considered necessary that a very delicate approach be made; indeed it was wondered whether ethical publications would even accept the copy.” In the end, the first ad published showed nurses treating a soldier. Such medical slant continued within that decade as seen in ads involving nurses, cross and “health protection”, familiar items creating confidence by association with medicine.

Needless to say, discretion was a main concern. The1920s ads made no reference at all to the menstruation process nor did it say exactly what the product was. Consumer appeals such as the product being made with seals to be “hygienically without contact of human hands” reflected the discomfort women (and probably men as well) felt.  In fact, the 1927 questionnaire done by a competing company was probably the “first formal analysis of women’s attitudes about menstrual products” and found that besides ease of buying and disposal, women wanted anonymity as well. While this was dealt with in the end by stacking up Kotex boxes on display shelves instead of having to personally ask from the counter, it clearly showed that while on one hand women were gaining more societal freedom and recognition, it was still the early stages and something as natural as menstruation was still largely a taboo.

Above: Discard Old Ways...Welcome the New!

However, the 1930s saw more change in women’s roles and this was reflected in a fresher portrayal of Kotex ads which started to move away from the mere “easy disposal” and “clinical hygiene” marketing to make way for bolder and more confident ads. For example, a 1934 ad headline read “Discard old ways…welcome the new!” and that of a 1937 ad involved the picture of a lady actively involved in a sport with the promise that “Kotex can’t chafe” along with a well-dressed lady getting off a plane. There is a noticeable diversity in the portrayal of women beyond their traditional roles as stay-home housewives and this captures the development of women’s roles in society. However, the cultural taboo continued to be pervasive as seen in the continuing claim that “the new Kotex package is identical to that of boxes widely used for packing ordinary articles”.