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We have all seen them – the ubiquitous product demonstration. Cuts through boots and can still cut through a tomato. Picks up things that you normally would use a dustpan for. Put on this cream and instantly look like a Hollywood movie star.  Wave this magic wand and suddenly be 25 pounds lighter, 15 years younger and a supermodel (OK that last one may have been a fantasy).

Product demonstrations are the bread and butter of selling. If people know how to use your product and can see what it does, then you create more sales.

But what about a product for which you can’t demonstrate the properties? What if it is taboo to show the product in actual use. This is the problem that has faced ad agencies for decades. One of the hardest categories to do a product demonstration for is “feminine hygiene” products (pads and tampons to mere mortals). You can’t show them in real use and the use of blood is even more taboo. Who can remember the wonderful blue liquid of years past? For a while as a kid I was sure that “blue blood” royals really did have blue blood and were used in pad demonstrations – but I digress.

You see women are very loyal to their products. They generally choose a brand when they start their cycle in their teens and are reluctant to change unless something major happens (like their brand is out of stock at the Supermarket).

Smart companies know this and woo pre-teen girls with free product samples,  information and funky websites – hoping to capture brand loyalty at an early stage. Cigarette advertising has nothing on the campaign tow in the hearts of pre-teen girls. For a time our house was awash with free samples from feminine hygiene companies.

Regular TV ads were more to reinforce brand loyalty and didn’t make much a dint in sales … until now. Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne have created one of the most memorable product demonstration ads that has “gone viral”. The ad is designed to demonstrate the extra stick factor of Libra Invisible pads – and does it brilliantly.

It is being uploaded to You Tube, it has its own Facebook Fan Page and blokes around Australia have taken to covering themselves in Libra pads for photos (that are uploaded to blogs, Facebook pages and assorted other places). The local High School has reported a number of boys turning up to school covered in Libra pads. It is the hottest topic in hairdressing salons. It seems like everyone is talking about it, with about 95% positive response.

So what is all the fuss about?

They have taken a taboo and made it funny … really funny. They have memorable characters.  Quotable lines and a twist.  Brilliant marketing!

What do you think?

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Copywriter