Freshman telecommunications major Dominique James loves it.  It’s a new commercial for a Kotex tampon that is realistic. Very unlike the old ones that featured a woman’s period in blue instead of red color.

James recalls being a cheerleader in high school when she became sensitive to commercials for periods. “I relate to the sporty commercials, like the Serena Williams and Mother Nature Tampax one. But they don’t seem real.  ‘Oh I’m coming to bring you a gift,'” James said, mimicking the commercial.

“U by Kotex” commercials which began airing on March 16, get away from the euphemistic branding of feminine health products.  The commercials are edgy, attention grabbing and realistic.

One of the popular commercials for “U by Kotex,” features an actress in her early 20s discussing her period while poking fun at the traditional tampon ads which often feature young women dancing, wearing white spandex, and blue liquid being poured on a pad to give the impression of blood, although most women are aware that blood is in fact red.

The ad concludes with the text, “Why are tampon ads so ridiculous?” which poses a good question to society and its fear of open conversations surrounding vaginal health.

Through eye-catching ads, “U by Kotex” attempts to promote genuine conversation surrounding women’s health and their care “down there.”

“I guess I relate to the new commercials more. The other commercials were stupid. They weren’t addressing the real issue,” said Piersten Gaines, a junior at Columbia University in New York. Gaines, a member of the Columbia University women’s soccer team, appreciates the blunt marketing approach Kotex has taken.

“It’s bound to happen, there’s no way around it,” said sophomore advertising major, Marsha Leo. “A period is such a forbidden subject, but tampon commercials try to portray the period as a fun, lighter subject with music and all. There’s nothing fun or light about it. We just need to be realistic about it.”

Kotex brand director Aida Flick said the campaign was meant to change the way people think.

“The products, the packaging, the advertising and the Web site were all done with the intent of being truthful and transparent, breaking the old stereotypes in the category and being more reflective of today’s young women that are honest and bold,” said.

In the company’s first quarter earnings report, Kimberly- Clark said there was a double-double-digit increase in feminine care products sales volume as a result of initial shipments of the new “U by Kotex” line extension