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Katherine Heigl doesn’t mince words, candidly sharing what birthing an 8-pound baby can do to the human body—namely, causing such phenomena as the “coughing-fit panty blitz” and the “giggle dribble.”
Heigl, as the spokeswoman for Kimberly-Clark’s Poise brand, addresses the camera directly in a new ad called “Whisper,” in which she does the opposite, with a wink. The rom-com alum starts out with a brief ASMR-tinged intro—and a nod to her brash reputation—before getting louder to call attention to the issue at hand: bladder leaks that affect at least 50% of women.
The 30-second spot, part of Heigl’s ongoing relationship with Poise, will launch during Sunday night’s 97th Academy Awards on ABC, in the brand’s first appearance in the program in 15 years.
Poise won’t be alone in planting a female-centric flag in the live televised event, which is often called “the Super Bowl for women.”
“When you look at the audience, 60% of Oscar viewers are female, and it’s most popular with women 45-plus, which is the perfect demo for us,” Katie Moran, Kimberly-Clark’s president of adult and feminine care, told ADWEEK.
The Super Bowl for women
Besides Poise, Hershey-owned SkinnyPop, a first-time advertiser on the show, will air a cheeky spot with its new celebrity endorser Jennifer Aniston. Meanwhile, Visa’s cinematic ad centers on a female protagonist living out multiple dreams.
Novartis may re-air its much-loved Super Bowl ad, “Your Attention Please,” with Hailee Steinfeld, with women-targeted brands such as L’Oreal Paris, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and Ulta Beauty also joining the party.
Kraft Heinz, in a subtle nod to Brazilian best actress nominee Fernanda Torres, will drop a commercial called “I’m Still Here Too” from agency David São Paulo.