• by Sarah Mahoney , February 12, 2026

It may be a given that period campaigns aim to make women feel better about themselves. But Kotex is taking that message in a bold new direction, with a new global platform beautifully drenched in red.

Themed “Own Your Flow,” the campaign relies on a tennis metaphor to illustrate the intensity of the pressure young women feel these days, all set to a quietly subversive a cappella performance of the rock classic, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”

“We want them to uncover their true identities and tune out society’s pressures and the need to fit in,” says Gustavo Sarkis, global creative lead at Kimberly-Clark. “We want them to have a voice.”

The ads debuted with a 90-second anthem film, with a narrative built around tennis. Young women face pressure, criticism and plenty of self-doubt. And while the metaphor is familiar, the emotional tone is different: These aren’t young women jumping around yelling about girl power, but quietly surfing through all kinds of tension.

Sarkis tells Marketing Daily that “Own Your Flow” especially reflects the needs of young women, ages 16 to 22, as they discover who they are while navigating relentless social pressure.

“In a world that tells you to fit in, your voice is what makes you stand out,” he says. “We want to do more than stand up for young women. We want to support them in standing up for themselves.”

And while the song's lyrics are familiar, the delivery conveys a very different meaning. “We wanted something that feels timeless,” Sarkis says. “The lyrics resonate with everything we want to support and say — but we wanted to do this in a new way, with a new voice.”

In an industry that still occasionally tiptoes around what a menstrual period actually is, this one dives into blood-red imagery, making it a core part of the power message. The platform also introduces a new brand identity, using that intense red with updated black typography, to bring that message home.

“We want this to be visceral,” Sarkis says. “This is what a period is. Why not embrace it?”

“Own Your Flow” started out with FCB, but following Omnicom’s restructuring, is now being led by McCann. Ads are running primarily on social and digital channels, including YouTube, Meta, Amazon and TikTok.