Things You Don't Say in Ads

Watch the SNL: G.O.B. Tampon Ad

There are certain unspoken rules in advertising about the things that should remain unspoken. For fear of upsetting the general public (who complain about things like Ellen talking about clothes or interracial couples who like cereal), clients tend to lean on the conservative side in ads. In a lot of ways, we're stuck in the 60s on TV even though (most of) the general public is blasting full speed ahead toward 2014. (Seriously - how is it July 30??)

One great example of the awkward Things-We-Don't-Talk-About ads is the clandestine depiction of menstruation (the terror-inducing M word). We've come a long way from pouring blue liquid on sanitary pads (aka feminine napkins) but are now in this interesting
(aka weird) place of bright colours and women biking, swimming and jumping around like Sally O'Malley.

I can't remember the last time... Anyway. Thankfully, the Internet exists and advertisers - and more importantly creatives - have the chance to be a little more open and realistic with certain topics.

Here are two great examples of ads that make me feel like it's NOT an inhumanly strange, unspeakable horror that my body does things every month that make me capable of creating LIFE.

1. Bodyform tells the truth.
(See the hilarious post they're responding to here.)


2. Camp Gyno



They are honest, don't treat the viewer like an idiot prude and are very relatable - at least to people with vaginas.

So I guess the lesson here is if you're going to say "Vagina" or "Period" in an ad, you better be funny. And post it on YouTube.

Vagina.