This is an ad by Summer’s Eve, which sells feminine hygiene products. With a dramatic musical backdrop, the ad features a series of powerful women in a range of historical and geographic contexts, including ancient Egypt, China, and the medieval period. The narrator contends: “men have fought for it, battled for it, died for it. One might say it’s the most powerful thing on Earth,” before cutting to a woman looking at Summer’s Eve products in a supermarket.

discussion

When the narrator says “men have fought for it, battled for it, died for it. One might say it’s the most powerful thing on Earth,” what is the ‘it’ she is referring to?

In your opinion, what are the most valuable ways to characterize or define a person? How important is someone’s body in defining who they are and their value or worth in society?

How does the ad characterize the female vagina and its relation to a woman’s identity?

In your opinion, how does this ad portray women? Is it a positive message for women? Do women have power? Why or why not?

Why does the ad draw from these different historical periods and use women of different races and ethnicities?