Reply #22: This strikes me as a clever guerilla marketing campaign.

[Skinner]

Yes, it's absurd that they can't say "vagina" in an ad for tampons. But I think Kotex knew that and was hoping to stoke a controversy like this.

Watch the ad. (It's included with http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2010/mar/16/tampon-vagina-kotex-advertising">the article.) It's really clever and funny. The irony in the ad fits perfectly with this controversy. The tag line for the ad is: "Why are Tampon Ads So Ridiculous?"

They have to use "that blue liquid" and and you can't say vagina, either. See how neatly this controversy fits? It helps reinforce the message.

The irony. The sleek black packaging. The manufactured controversy. It seems to me that they know exactly who their intended audience is, and this is part of the marketing strategy. They're aiming for smart, young, cosmopolitan women. Bullseye.