Several Boston University students became stars of a recent Kotex commercial by attending Kotex’s “What Fits U Experience” event at CollegeFest and reciting pre-written lines about what “fits” them. The commercial is currently shown on Facebook.com and will be featured during AMC Fenway’s previews starting Oct. 28. It depicts BU students explaining to the viewer what personally “fits” them. The girls’ responses range from “The Red Sox” to “Rock and Roll” and end with “Kotex fits me.”
Kotex Promotion Manager Julie Engelke said the featured students were chosen from about 50-60 participants based on their answers to “personal interviews” during which they explained what “fits” their lives.
“It gave college-age women an opportunity to come by our event and express themselves individually,” she said.
College of General Studies freshman Frances Davoren, who was featured in the commercial, said she was not personally interviewed, but was told to read lines verbatim off a pre-written sheet.
“I thought some of the stuff did fit me – when they talked about family,” she said, adding that the statements about Boston did not really represent her because she is just getting to know the city.
Davoren said she was unaware that she was selected for the commercial. “I felt like [the commercial] was something fun and they asked me to do it, so I tried,” she said.
According to Engelke, the commercial was an element of Kotex’s broader “What Fits U Experience” campaign that focused on allowing students to express their individuality.
“We want to demonstrate that we understand all women and that we understand what fits them in their life,” she said.
Engelke later said the “personal interview” did not contain open-ended questions, but consisted of students choosing which statements they wanted to read for the camera. She said this method still allowed students to effectively convey what “fits” them.
“The perspective that I have had is that the girls were incredibly excited to be able to express themselves in this way,” she said.
College of Arts and Sciences senior Melissa Kent said she thinks students might be more willing to buy products advertised by other BU students, but said she is unsure if the advertising tactic will work for Kotex.
“With feminine products you’re more comfortable with what you use already,” she said. “In general, I don’t use Kotex because it reminds me of my mother.”
Engelke said the new Kotex campaign focused on 13 different locations and another commercial was filmed in Boston during the Head of the Charles Regatta last weekend. She said she could not comment about why BU was chosen over other area colleges and universities.
“Each girl was chosen probably for her on-screen presence,” she said, adding that representing Boston’s diversity and how the girls’ responses fit together were also factors in the decisions.