In Canada, there are many categories where marketing feels full of stereotypes and outdated notions of what it’s like to be a woman, Feminine Care especially. U by Kotex sets itself apart from the category by embracing girls as real, dimensional beings who have more on their minds then being thrilled about wearing a new period pad. Rather than showing girls dancing in fields or high diving in a white bathing suit, U by Kotex has always focused on forging a more authentic relationship with its consumers. Thing is, establishing a relationship with a Millennial girl today is no easy feat. So while we didn’t have any regulatory restrictions to contend with, we knew we had to play outside the traditional realm of broadcast to effectively engage with her.

After all, in the sensory overloaded world we live in, it has become increasingly challenging to effectively reach the selective and always-on, digital-savvy female Millennial. She’s constantly on a mission to express herself. Digital is her voice and authenticity is essential. With close to every brand vying for her attention, our challenge was, "How do we stand out? And, of all things, talk to her about her period?"

Released as snack-able bits of content, each ~5 minutes CARMILLA episode was released on YouTube every Tuesday and Thursday for 18 consecutive weeks. The approach catered to our ‘always on-line & easily distracted’ millennial girl, keeping her engaged and coming back for more. Transmedia extensions also engaged our millennial audience by lengthening the story between episodes on platforms including Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook providing a personal connection to our fans favourite characters. U by Kotex® owned platforms featured exclusive content. CARMILLA and U by Kotex® celebrated fans by showcasing fan-created artwork on social platforms and within branded YouTube spots.

CARMILLA generated an impressive count of 11 million earned impressions and 10 million views across all 36 episodes and additional content. With zero paid media, the season finale alone garnered 101,000 views in 24 hours. U by Kotex® capitalized on the momentum by following the season finale with a #SaveCarmilla movement asking fans to show their love of CARMILLA and U by Kotex® . In the 24 hours that followed #SaveCarmilla was tweeted 11.6 times per minute and generated 7.7 million timeline deliveries. The campaign was so successful with our engaged fans that we announced Season Two, Spring 2015.