• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, July 7, 2023

Secret is taking an edgier approach to connect with women about sweat and odor, abandoning the category's usual sincerity for a partnership with stand-up comedian Atsuko Okatsuka.

The Procter & Gamble deodorant brand kicked off its new effort with the writer and comic last month with an event called the "Secret Comedy Special at Chelsea Table & Stage."

And while P&G's men's personal care brands like Old Spice and Head & Shoulders have long relied on comic relief, marketing for women's products often relies on messages of sincerity and empowerment.

Men may be more likely to make jokes at others' expense, she says, "while women tend to poke fun at themselves," a spokesperson tells Marketing Daily via email.

The goal is to bring women together in their shared experiences and educate them about Secret Clinical, and the event marks the "first pulse of our multi-phased marketing partnership."

She says the brand plans to lean into the comic's "fresh style and point of view to unite women in their shared deodorant habits and sweaty situations."

She says Okatsuka, whose comedy special aired on HBO last year, makes a good match for the brand. "She combines storytelling, improv and audience participation" and "a unique perspective to personal experiences," the spokesperson says.

The goal is simply to break the ice about a difficult topic.

"What could be more personal than talking about sweat and odor? And how do you authentically connect with the audience and break the ice?"

Naturally, the performer, who carved a name for herself with her drop challenge on TikTok, is already teasing snippets on her social media channels.

Additional pieces of content are forthcoming in talent, brand and third-party channels. Those will drill down on different types of sweat: stress, heat and exercise.

And they'll play off women's extreme sweat-stopping behaviors, including wearing pantyliners in the armpits. Cracks Okatsuka: "We're like the Bermuda Triangle of the feminine care aisle.”