And that’s a good thing. Doubly so since the predilections of the ad industry and its fear of the word “vagina” has for years now relegated feminine hygiene marketing to trite visual tropes involving women riding horses, blue liquids, boats, the beach, big hats, sundresses, twirling and all the white denim in the world.
Soon enough though that’ll be just another thing ad execs with no clue got wrong thanks to new school of advertising characterised by its non-patronising ability to discuss vaginas, tampons and menstruation with humour, frankness and sincerity.
The apex of this trend being the on-point Hello Flo spots – The Camp Gyno and First Moon Party – videos even people without vaginas should watch because they’re funnier than anything SNL has produced in the last five years.
Now it’s Australia’s turn to deal with the anatomically accurate 100% true fact that female genitals are called vaginas with Carefree Australia imploring us to get real about vaginas in this campaign, the same brand whose mission to demystify vaginas and the double standards surrounding them manifested two years ago in the first recorded instance of the word “vagina” in an Australian TV commercial.
Too-twee lady vlogger Fanny Glitterwinkle, vaginal spirit healer Harmony Freebush, and celebrity period whisperer, Stefan Van Der Blöed deliver some ill-conceived vagina monologues (menstruation is your vagina, aka your oval office, crying, for example) parodying the patronising euphemisms and symbolism people use when talking about vaginas.
Top work, Her Vagesty.
Vlogger Brittney Saunders response to this video:
Former Big Brother contestant Tully Smyth response to this video:
Vlogger Karissa Pukas response to this video:
