Kotex and Juan Cabral Empower Women to ‘Own Their Flow’ with Visually Striking Tennis Anthem
Kotex has launched its new global brand platform, ‘Own Your Flow’, with an empowering film from MJZ director Juan Cabral and Omnicom creatives (formerly from FCB).
Celebrating young women and breaking period taboos, the 90-second anthem spot uses tennis as a visual metaphor for the pressure, scrutiny and self doubt women and girls face on their journey to self-discovery.
The film also introduces red and black as core brand colours for the menstrual hygiene product company, and paired with updated typography, the striking new visuals are backed by a reimagining of Tears for Fears’ ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’.
Gustavo Sarkis, global creative lead at Kotex parent company Kimberly-Clark, tells LBB that director Juan Cabral – known for ads like Cadbury – ‘Gorilla’, Sony Bravia – ‘Balls’ and IKEA – ‘Beds’ – was essential in making the film “visually arresting and poetic”. He says, “His vision elevated the project to another level in terms of both craft and storytelling. He helped us move away from a strictly linear narrative and toward something more experiential, where the audience can really feel the story.”
The story is designed to mirror the experience of growing up in a world where everyone tells you to fit in, expanding on Kotex’s long-standing commitment to women’s progress and evolving it into a broader cultural conversation about women finding their voices while under pressure to conform.
“We wanted our hero to be facing a decisive moment of pressure – a moment where she’s under the spotlight and subject to the judgment of others,” says Gustavo. “When we were workshopping and writing the script, we went through many different possible situations. A tennis match point felt like the perfect scenario for that with the tension, the silence of the crowd watching, and the umpire looming above her from the highchair.
“Everything about that moment visually and emotionally amplified the pressure she’s feeling.”
Gustavo was on set for the production – a process he describes as “very organised and thoughtfully planned”. For him, preparation is vital at all stages of the creative pipeline to give everyone involved the freedom to experiment and push the creative to the next level. And this film is evidence of that.
He adds that casting was the biggest challenge for the crew, because the film shows the protagonist interacting with younger versions of herself. “We needed to ensure strong physical resemblance across different life stages, from age 12 to adulthood, so it truly felt like the same person over time.
“On top of that, they had to show some athletic abilities as a tennis player. To achieve this, we broadened our search significantly, extending it across multiple countries until we landed on an ensemble that felt ideal. Of course, we also relied on some post production help to make it perfect.”
Discussing the wider platform that the hero film launches, Gustavo says that Kotex wants the marketing to be a cultural force for good beyond the creative itself.
“Young women face immense pressure from society and social media and constant expectations around how they should behave and how they should look,” he says. “The ‘Own Your Flow’ campaign supports them in standing up for their authentic selves, despite that external pressure. In a world that constantly tells you to fit in, your voice is what makes you stand out.
“We want this to be more than a campaign; we see it as a movement brought to life through brand actions and activations that empower women to truly ‘own their flow’.
