I think it's clear that the kids are starting to take over the ad agencies and infiltrate the executive suites in the marketing departments of America's biggest companies. I'm not a grumpy thirtysomething feeling threatened by the youth. By kids, I mean folks just slightly younger than me in their late 20s.

Like any generalized group, it is unfair to indict all of the individuals of said group, but how else do you explain the new campaign from Proctor & Gamble's Tampax brand, "Use Your Period for Good?" Ladies, use agonizing pain and bleeding caused by the shedding of your uterine wall for the betterment of mankind. By a Tampax stopper (pardon my translated French) and save the world.

Being a convert to the corporate world, I know how the team ended up at this Sphishak-worthy slogan. Some old guy sent the mandate down that Tampax needed a Green campaign. With all of the toxins (pesticides, chlorine, alleged asbestos to name a few) in the cotton that the girls are sticking up their duchesses each month to stop, you'd think Tampax was making Chinese-made toys.

Then, the KidNation of cube dwellers got together and after learning what's in a tampon, decided green would not be the way to go. No, they needed to find a cause where tampons are on the front line, making it a brighter day for you and me. Someone from the group, inspired by Bono and a couple of pints of Stella, recommended having Tampax join the (RED) campaign. Luckily someone stepped in and decided (RED), while a good cause, is the end result of their products and it may be a little too obvious.

Then the brainstorming could have really heated up from there following the plausible train of thoughts.... tampon, cotton, slaves, Africa, African issues genocide, poverty, menstrually-caused truancy ... perfect. Then the young turks in the room, in the defining moment of the slogan, could have said "Mensturation is such a drag/ Somebody should use their period for good."


Then, all you need is a respected actress like Regina King for the voice over work and then a sinister online campaign with a Website and everything that benefits the UN's HERO Program.

It's not like they didn't have any number of add ideas to remote. A new tampon launched later this year that supposedly cuts down on toxic shock syndrome. That would have been something of value to customers.

Even though some money is going to a good cause, overall this campaign is an exercise of marketing greed, and a lack of experience and vision.

Movies and music took a downturn when twentysomethings were wee kids -- in a cultural cess pool that was the '90s. As a result, the kids today don't have well-rounded emotional maturity. The sad thing is it probably is contagious, which explains how anyone over thirty at P&G approved this commercial.

Oh well, it's their millions of dollars they're spending on the campaign and the donations.

They need to use that for good.