Kotex Matches Tennis With Women's Health Message

Red hues rule in 'Own Your flow'

Make the message bigger, bolder … redder. Much redder. Kimberly-Clark’s Kotex does just that to stunning effect, mixing tennis with fiery hues in a short film from ace director Juan Cabral.

A version of ’80s staple “Everybody Wants to Rule world”—pointed yet poppy—provides the soundtrack. That music choice underscores the message about women facing pressure of all sorts and proves an effective counterpoint to the fiery visuals.

This one’s earned lots of press attention in just a few days, and rightly so. The imagery from Cabral proves potent throughout.

“We wanted our hero to be facing a decisive moment of pressure—a moment where she’s under the spotlight and subject to the judgment of others,” K-C global creative chief Gustavo Sarkis tells Muse. “When we were workshopping and writing the script, we went through many different possible situations. A tennis match point felt like the perfect scenario for that: the tension, the silence of the crowd watching, the umpire looming above her from the chair. Everything about that moment visually and emotionally amplified the pressure she’s feeling.”

The ad does an especially fine job of contrasting that on-court action with calmer, pensive moments and unexpected imagery—notably this wall of menstrual blood:

“Juan Cabral was essential in making this film visually arresting and poetic,” Sarkis says. “His vision elevated the project to another level in terms of both craft and storytelling. He helped us move away from a strictly linear narrative and toward something more experiential. Rather than simply telling a story, we invite the audience to feel it.”

“The key to a successful production like this is preparation: Being as thorough as possible from boards to pre-production meetings, so everyone knows exactly what’s expected once you’re on set. When you’re able to shoot at a good pace and capture everything you need on time, it gives you the freedom to go further — to explore, try additional ideas, and really push the creative.”

It’s an especially effective metaphor, more like an art-house short than a commercial. This will surely rank among the year’s top health and wellness spots.

McCann leads the campaign, which was launched by FCB before the Omnicom deal. The work will run mainly online.