Daily Archives: March 17, 2010

JWT: “Periods suck, the ads don’t have to.”

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Jason DeTurris was the JWT account planner on Schick Quattro this past year and winner of a AAAAs Jay Chiat Award for work that led to inspired, effective creative. His branding idea was “transform your topiary.”  You remember the TV spots…they encouraged women to shave and sculpt their nether regions. It was fun, grown up advertising and it sold lots of razors.

Well, I can’t confirm it, but Jason’s back — or at least JWT’s back with some bold women’s advertising for U by Kotex. The idea, targeting women 14-21, is based upon the fact that historically work in the category has been paternalistic. That is to say, it has discussed periods and menstrual products as a single father might with his daughter. Awkwardly.  Facilitators of this euphemistic story telling are the TV networks, two of which won’t even run the new work. The spots parody and make fun of old campaigns and their silly demonstrations; the pouring of blue water onto a pad being one.

JWT is breaking ground here and thanks to the web (site created by Organic) is taking a much richer story to young women.  In addition, it has created an enemy in fem-care advertising that everyone can rally around – a conversation starter. JWT is going to make some serious bones (I’m reading the Godfather) in the fem-care category and should be a go-to shop for excellent creative (along with Ogilvy) that targets women. Schick and Kimberly Clark (Kotex) prove it. So Jason, is that you?