Some girls can find their first period very stressful. Katie experienced this in the HelloFlo TV commercial “First Moon Party” which promotes a starter menstruation kit. Katie is the protagonist of this story. She wants her period badly enough to fake it. In her desperate attempt to be a woman, Katie lies to her girlfriends about having her first period. Katie’s Mother, aware that Katie lied, decided throw Katie a party with a theme of first menstruation. This period starter set commercial engages, empowers and persuades viewers that menstruation should not be considered a taboo topic.
The commercial “First Moon Party”, portrays menstruation in a way that is true, as a normal process all girls experience or will. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about this topic. People aren’t well-informed and don’t feel comfortable educating themselves on menstruation. The commercial highlights the lack in information and misinformation that men often receive. Katie’s mom’s coworker gives her a super-pack of coffee filter and says that he isn’t sure which brand Katie likes. They also want to know what they can do to help them feel comfortable and supported. Menstruation should not be seen as abnormal, harmful, shameful, or frightening. Many girls avoided discussing the topic with the father because it was uncomfortable. Some girls wished fathers would be more supportive, but quieter, while others believed fathers shouldn’t be involved in the process. The commercial is a way to change the perception of society by acknowledging that girls go through puberty as they do in reality. It also encourages communication between families and new ideas. HelloFlo’s advertisement used different hidden messages to influence the audience. It is a way to influence their views or ideas so that parents and children can communicate about the process. Each culture approaches the topic differently with its children, and some don’t even speak about it. The commercial depicts Katie’s desire to be a woman and her anxiety about being compared with other girls in a satirical and relatable way. The commercial shows how Katie’s mother was slow to explain the fact that girls develop differently and that it’s okay to wait longer. Katie answered in a direct tone when asked by the mother what she thought it was. The commercial shows a woman on her ladies’ days. She also portrays a guy with a ketchup upside down holding it and asking in a loud voice, “What do you think it is?” The period starter package is the ideal tool to start the “Talk” sooner.
The “First Moon Party” advertisement portrays the fact that in some cultures there are celebrations for the arrival puberty. And, in some cases, family members are also invited. The product is appealing to this audience because the commercial promotes the “First Moon Party” as a cultural event that is connected to those of the respective cultures. The commercial, for example, shows how Katie’s family and friends (her father, mother and grandfather) participate in the celebration. It is a way to persuade this audience that the period starter kits are a great gift for the next occasion. The commercial is aimed at a different audience, which will accept the cultural code. The audience will accept the main idea despite their own beliefs because of the humoristic appeals. The commercial uses unusual situations to portray males. For instance, Katie’s grandmother arrives with joy and a special gift. Katie’s father, who emerges from the dessert wearing a red suit that represents menstruation, is also shown. It is a way to encourage men to change their perception of menstruation.
HelloFlow creates meaningful communication using semiotics. The commercial, as we all know, is about menstruation. Semiotics in the commercial is represented by clothes, backgrounds and games that have symbolic meanings. In the commercial, for example, Katie’s “new” flow is represented by the red color. This can be seen in the almost all scenes: red streamers and balloons, red dresses, red chocolate fountains, red headpieces, and red morph suits. Images are carefully crafted with strong connotations, such as the woman wearing tampons for earrings and eating marshmallows covered in melted chocolate. The scenes are also very strong in meaning, and the denotation is very literal. Katie, for example, gets frustrated at the party and tells her mother she faked a period. Instead, she received a HelloFlo-branded period starter set as a present. Her mother said that she was aware of this fact because “periods have no glitter.”
The characters are seen by the audience as being funny and realistic. They make people more open-minded. People will feel more “cool” if they act like the characters. The commercial uses scenes, expressions, and other techniques to help viewers understand the characters. Katie’s Mother, for instance explains to the audience her thoughts with a lot of craftiness. She does this in a very natural way. The audience can relate to everyday situations.
HelloFlo’s commercial uses humor as a strategy to appeal to its audience. The humor is used in order to link the subject matter with humorous moments and situations that occur every day. The product becomes more appealing. The commercial aims to get the audience laughing and feeling good about the product. It shows the funny side of puberty for some girls. After Katie explains in a dejected tone that “Jenny was the first to get it, and then stupid Vicky,” she prays and tries inner thigh exercise. She is jealous and thinks she doesn’t fit in anymore with her friends, because she hasn’t been able to join the “Cherry Slush Club”. These humorous scenes will change the way people perceive the concept. Martin Eisend, Professor of International Marketing Julia Plagemann and Julia Solwedell all agree that humor occurs when it defies social norms by using nontraditional stereotype depictions. This implies a change in stereotyping. To make a commercial original, it is important to disregard cultural and social norms. This commercial has a lot of funny and uncommon phrases. For example: “does anybody know how hard it would be to find a pinata with a uterus?” “What’re you doing?” You’re missing the Vagician!”
This period starter set commercial encourages viewers not to feel embarrassed or guilty about menstruation. HelloFlo’s persuasion creates a link between a problem that parents and girls are facing and the product. The HelloFlo campaign also encourages viewers to believe that the period kit will improve the relationship between mothers and daughters, making it the perfect “gift-before-the-gift.”
