The recent launch of the U by Kotex campaign has sparked somewhat of a debate over the use of the v-word: vagina. The New York Times reports that the agency producing the new ads about tampons, pads and liners was informed by three broadcast networks that it could not use the word vagina, so it shot the ad with the actress saying “down there,” which was also rejected by two of the three networks.
A recent MediaPost article cites a study conducted online in August 2009 by Harris Interactive on behalf of Kotex, finding that among more than 1,600 North American women ages 14-35, 7 in 10 women believe it’s time for society to change how it talks about vaginal health, yet less than half (45%) feel empowered to make a difference.
It’s interesting that in a time when there is so much emphasis placed on women’s health – especially with recent campaigns to increase awareness about HPV and cervical cancer – vagina is a word that is still avoided. Every woman has one, and it obviously affects our lives on a monthly basis, to say the least, as the new ad points out in its parody on typical commercials about tampons. (more…)
