Playtex Thinks Your Tampon Should Come With a Vaginal Steaming Kit in New Tongue-in-Cheek Campaign

File this under something you never knew you needed—a tampon made with a Chilean alpaca fleece core, activated charcoal and probiotics to, "restore your delicate flora." Who wants a boring old tampon made from cotton and rayon these days, especially when you can be extra and get a box of special Xtra tampons? No one. That's who. Playtex understands that in today's "extra" world, where consumers want all the bells and whistles on every single product, the brand needed to step up its tampon game. In a seriously entertaining ad from Playtex, starring The Good Place actress D'Arcy Carden, you'll get a full rundown on all the perks of using an Xtra tampon. "When it comes to my period, I don't do basic," Carden says in the spot. [kickout id="1"] Vaginal steaming? Auto-eject tampons? Count her in! Obviously, Playtex Xtra tampons are not a real product—although finding out where your "cycle friends" are at any given time would come in handy when you're craving a tub of ice cream and want someone to hang out with who won't judge you for your ice cream consumption. Rather, Playtex created this tongue-in-cheek spot to poke fun at some of the stereotypical tampon ads you might see on TV. You know, the ones where some lady is dressed in all white (god bless you, you brave soul), smiling from ear to ear because she just loves being on her period. The ad, created in partnership with Edelman, is also meant to address this rush on new feminine care products, from cups to period panties, that promise all kinds of advantages—from being better for the environment, to saving you money every month. Playtex wants to drive home the point that while those products may sound intriguing, sometimes simplicity is key. "Our ambition was to put a spotlight on the extra-ness of the world around us and show that when it comes to tampons, simple is the way to go," Devon Driscoll, Edgewell Personal Care, fem care, brand manager, said. "Our video heroes this simplicity quite literally by demonstrating the stark contrast between extra (tampons auto-ejecting in rose-colored bathrooms) and simple, because Playtex Simply Gentle Glide is simply what you need, without the extra." "What makes this product stand out is its simplicity. As someone who uses a tampon, that’s exactly what I want in a tampon. We wanted to join in this cultural trend of calling out extra in a fun and witty way and we came up with Xtra our fake tampon that would really just highlight the simplicity of Playtex Simply Gentle Glide," Samantha Wilco, a creative lead on the Edelman team, noted. D'Arcy Carden makes a convincing tampon ad girl, too. She's perky and upbeat, decked out in an all-white ensemble, dishing out all the things that make Xtra tampons so extra. Driscoll said that in order to truly convince people that this could be a real tampon ad, the brand needed to cast someone who could keep you in on the joke, while still being funny. "D’Arcy has a unique ability to play extra to a tee, but still be believable. She’s collaborative, warm, easy to work with, and hilarious. Her comedic timing and style were perfect for this spot," Driscoll said. The spot will start rolling out on digital and social, beginning today.