Ad for teenagers: "Are you in
the know?" Kotex menstrual pads,
1953
For years copywriters for Kotex
sanitary pads produced Are you in the know?
advertisements for teenage American
girls. They are hilarious, at least to
us. But teens understood the language.
And they needed menstrual advice, and
who better to give it than Kotex? This
illustrates Joan Brumberg's point (in
her book The
Body Project) about the
menstrual hygiene companies' taking
over menstrual education from parents
and friends (see
some links in the left column).
The ads threw in other advice as well,
such as how to get along with boys,
touching a weak spot in most every
girl. Why not improve your luck and
use Kotex?
This is an ad from March 1953. See
an earlier
version (1949).