Perspective on Menstruation Ads

For many years women have been targeted and subjected to ads, commercials, and speeches regarding their monthly menstrual cycle.  Women’s menstruation has been turned into an industry. Companies competing to sell high priced “feminine hygiene products” to any and all women. Menstruation has turned into a market, a market that spends lots of money each year to target women and persuade them into buying their product.The dominant portion of society has taught women that their menstruation cycle is something to cover up, a bloody mess, and a smelly ordeal.  Companies use this stigma to their advantage. Society tells women that their periods are something to be ashamed of and something to cover up and hide. As stated in an ad layout by Tampax, “New Tampax radiant keeps your period invisible.”

This sends the message that this natural occurrence should be silenced.  Luckily, women have had enough. It is only normal to menstruate and unfortunately we cannot do a darn thing about it. There is a shift in marketing that is being seen through advertisements. In my analysis I would like to include two advertisements targeting women to shot that there is a change being made.The caption reads, “My first day with Stayfree Maxi-Pads.” Under the caption the young women depicted in the ad, riding a skateboard in white shorts, tells her story. In summary, she describes when using Stayfree Maxi-Pads you cannot even tell that you are on your period. All her guy friend had no idea. The Maxi-pads kept her menstruation her little secret. The ad closes with, “ They’re how active women stay active.” The occasion for this ad is female menstruation. 

This occasion is on going and ever is ever present in the life of women. The speakers are large companies who are looking to help women conceal their menstruation. The audience is all the women who have responded to the ad by internalizing that menstruation is a bad thing, that it is dirty, gross, and just socially unacceptable. These large companies are trying to play up the stigma society has created regarding periods. They are upholding the historically constructed ideals of what women should do in terms of menstruation.Today the message and occasion is starting to change in ads that target women. A recent print add by Kotex is taking a stand. They say enough is enough. Menstruation is natural and we should embrace it. They released and ad that said, “ I tied a tampon to my keyring so my brother wouldn’t take my car. It worked.” It goes on to say, “ Why are 40% of people uncomfortable with tampons? Break the cycle!” 

The ad is truly addressing the idea that many women and people are not comfortable with the ideas of the monthly period. The occasion of this ad is still female menstruation, but its timing is different. The creators of this ad are targeting new age women who are accepting the period for what it is and are not afraid to show it.The new Kotex ad pokes fun at the traditional ads that seem to say that menstruation is something better left unsaid. Through these ads we see a shift fro honoring historical context to nonconformity. One (Stayfree) upholds the ideas society has put in place. In contrast, Kotex is trying to break out of the historical context and the common presuppositions.  Kortex focuses on a different audience, women who aren’t afraid of their period, by switching their occasion to the new movement of feminism and female awareness. These ads fall into textualized the situation of the rhetorical situation. The actual readers and speakers are left unknown. We make assumptions about the people who write ads just how the people who right ads make assumptions about us. 

(photos via Stayfee, Kotex, and Tampax)