Carefree Ad Uses the Word "Vagina," TV Viewers Outraged

Carefree pantyliner ad

New Zealand Pantyliner Commercial Uses Term "Vagina"

Someone said vagina. On TV. In a commercial. And TV viewers were reportedly "outraged."

Are we so fragile that even medical terminology is taboo?

Feminine hygiene product advertising is a delicate dance as it is -- how do you advertise that kind of product without getting into some level of detail?

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Gone are the days of saying "that not-so-fresh feeling," as one brave commercial in New Zealand attempted to go "there."

The result is a naked woman, obscured by flowers, talking about freshness and, yes -- she says the word vagina.

It's not all that horrifying, really. "Discharge" seems slightly more offensive to the ear, but how else to describe what this feminine hygiene product does than to -- you know -- actually use real words and not cutie-pie terminology about lady bits?

(Don't get me started on that stupid blue liquid that's supposed to indicate menstruation. Absurd.)

Nine viewers called the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) to complain, but a Carefree spokesperson said in a statement: "It's the first time a major brand has had the guts to use real words, not euphemisms or diminutive terms."

Watch the ad below and let us know if you're offended when she says: "Even that bit of discharge in between our period is our body working to keep the vagina healthy," adding that Carefree pantyliners "lock away wetness and odor, helping you to feel dry, clean and fresh every day."

Michelle Forster of Johnson & Johnson Pacific, which owns Carefree, said: "We have decided to take a bold approach in this campaign with the aim to tackle a subject which as always been taboo. We want to encourage women to talk openly about their bodies, educating them both on discharge and the benefits of using Carefree act-fresh liners on a daily basis."

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It seems taking the candid approach is a heck of a lot better than Summer's Eve's "Hail to the V" campaign last year.

And speaking of which, check out Jeff Bridges doing the voice over for a Summer's Eve commercial -- he should narrate all feminine care products, in my opinion.

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