Every now and then, you come across something that forces you to challenge your own convictions. To reassess your opinions and rethink your ideals. The new Summer’s Eve commercial is that thing. This clip should be a winner: It hails the vagina as the “cradle of life” and the “center of civilization,” something men have fought and died for. It insists that women are amazing and should be worshipped. The company has obviously blown a wad of cash on this pussy-praising… So why does it just feel like they’re blowing smoke up our asses?
According to AdRants, this campaign marks a shift away from women in white dresses frolicking in medows of daisies.
Summer’s Eve Director of U.S. Marketing Angela Bryant said, “The whole category has been talking to women the same way since feminine hygiene products have been in the marketplace, and ironically, many media outlets won’t even allow the use of the word vagina in advertising. We are way past-due for a change. Hearing from women on our listening tour last year cemented that now is the time. This campaign is about empowerment, changing the way women may think of the brand, and removing longstanding stigmas: Summer’s Eve is not a means to confidence, rather it’s a celebration of confidence, of being a woman, and taking care of their bodies.”
That all sounds great. And the commercial — featuring an ethnically diverse cast and high production values — should be something to rave about. Instead it feels like pandering, probably because we associate Summer’s Eve with douching, and douching is dumb.
To be fair: Summer’s Eve knows that a vagina does not need douching. The website (which features a “game” in which you’re tested on whether you know your anus from your labia) has a section called the Vagina Owner’s Manual. It’s there that you’ll find a slideshow informing you that the vagina is “like a self-cleaning oven.” So… If it’s cleaning itself, why would ladies need to buy Summer’s Eve Cleansing Wash?
Oh, there’s an answer for that:
Pop quiz: How many cleansers do you have in your bathroom right now? Now, how many are specially formulated for your vaginal area? Enter Summer’s Eve Cleansing Wash. It’s pH-balanced, which means it works with your body’s natural chemistry, and two kinds of doctors have given it the green light to use every day. So give your V the 10 seconds it deserves in the shower — heck, you spend more time shaving your legs!
See, it just seems like, if the ladyflower is powerful enough to send men into battle, then some regular old soap or bodywash won’t do any harm. Some medical professionals warn against using soap/body washes/feminine hygiene products, because they can cause urinary tract infections (and some of us were part of the Mr. Bubble Generation) but in general, you’re not putting any of those products in your vagina. And most doctors would say it’s fine to do a quick swipe between your legs with some kind of cleanser, provided you’re not irritating the flesh or prolonging exposure to the soap.
Then there’s the whole equating-a-woman-with-her-genitalia thing. Nevermind that Cleopatra had a brain. What’s important is that she had a vagina! Sigh. This ad just rubs me the wrong way. Or maybe my jeans are too tight, and I’m squashing the most powerful thing on earth.
On the other hand: This ad is a helluva lot better than the campaign Summer’s Eve ran last summer, in which we all found out that the process of asking for a raise begins with cleaning your hoo-ha.
