There are many categories where marketing feels full of stereotypes and outdated notions of what it’s like to be woman or a girl. One category that is especially guilty of this is feminine care. U by Kotex has been able to set itself apart from the other players in the category by communicating a differentiated positioning and embracing girls as real, dimensional beings who have more on their minds then being thrilled about wearing a new period pad. Dancing in fields, high diving in a white bathing suit – U by Kotex has never been about perpetuating these overused and irrelevant images, but rather, a brand focused on forging a more authentic relationship with its consumers. The thing is, establishing a relationship with a millennial girl today is no easy feat.

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, how can the brand stand out? And of all things – talk to her about her period?

Standing out and finding a forum in which to talk to her about her period and deliver on why U by Kotex should be her brand of choice was a challenging ask. Ultimately it wasn’t as much about driving sales directly as it was about connecting with an audience that was extremely tricky to engage, in a way that would be welcomed and build brand affinity in a category girls don’t normally get very emotionally involved with.

The national brand program “Save the Undies” would be doing the heavy lifting in terms of communicating product efficacy. Rationally this was critical to driving conversion, but the team knew it needed to build a more emotional connection in order to have a relevant role in her life.

To activate and amplify “Save the Undies,” the brand partnered on a new venture that enabled it to develop an environment in which to reach its target with ongoing digital content that she could relate to and appreciate. This was done with the launch of Carmilla.

Executive produced by U by Kotex, Carmilla is a 36-episode, four-minute, scripted transmedia series that put a modern spin on the cult classic gothic vampire novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and built on the current buzz and target’s interest in all things vampire. Only once a substantial Carmilla fan base was established, was U by Kotex revealed as the executive producer, allowing viewers to become invested in the characters and storyline before bringing in the brand. Of course, following the announcement, product was naturally integrated into the storyline and content in the most authentic way possible, including product placement in the series and five branded spots incorporating the “Save the Undies” campaign, delivered through the cast of the show.

Carmilla also included transmedia extensions including character Twitter and Tumblr feeds that extended the story world between episodes and helped stimulate further dialogue and interest in the show. U by Kotex integration vlogs featuring the two lead Carmilla characters debating such questions as whether vampires get their periods were also developed, creating a fully immersive experience and giving girls a chance to meaningfully connect and participate.

Since the August 2014 launch of the series, Carmilla has generated 17 million minutes of watch time, 11 million earned impressions and 10 million views across all 36 episodes and additional content, including U by Kotex branded videos.

With zero paid media behind it, 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.