237. Brand Stories: MODESS® Sanitary Napkin of Johnson & Johnson, 1962-1969

MODESS SANITARY NAPKINS, Intro Ad, 1963.

MODESS Sanitary Napkins was the result of a joint project of Johnson & Johnson Phils. and Metro Drug Corp., an alliance that aimed to produce a viable, attractively priced sanitary protection pads. The company they formed was called Philippine Medical Products (PMP) which manufactured the personal care product, MODESS.

The product concept itself was not conceived locally, but the subsequent improvements and innovations were led and developed by a team from J&J Phils. which enabled MODESS to achieve a high level of success in the Asian region.

But when it was officially launched in 1962, MODESS floundered, due to poor distribution and absence of advertising.  The joint venture ended and PMP was taken over by the local J&J company in 1964.

When MODESS  was finally advertised, its advertising agency, Ace-Compton, created some of the more memorable ads that began in 1969 with the “Dare Wear White” campaign. The campaign dares women to wear white during their period, as a test of the product’s new feature—“Blu Plasti-Shield” to absorb and protect.

 

PROTECTS AS IT ABSORBS, 1964

Parallel campaigns were also undertaken to converting traditional “pasador” (cloth pads) users into modern sanitary pad users. The TVC, which featured Gloria Sevilla and teen daughter Nadja Veloso, pointed out  the many inconveniences of using cloth pasadors versus using MODESS. “Laba..Kula…Plantsa---hassle!”, complains the teener. However, instead of shifting to MODESS, the market  shifted to cheaper pads.

With the business in doldrums, the head office pondered over the possibility of  closing the feminine protection line of J&J. But the local organization persevered and recommended to put up a line of sanitary napkins  made with locally-produced “non-woven” raw materials. 

PROTECTED BY MODESS, 1966 AD.

This proposal was given a go-signal, thus  J&J Phils. became the first affiliate in Asia to produce its own non-woven material requirements (which gave a cooler feeling unlike the “hot” Plasti-Shield of MODESS), which also made pads more affordable.

J&J introduced the product under the STAYFREE brand in 1975. A year later, a locally-developed beltless version of the MODESS was launched. These two products were well-received by the market and eventually became market leaders.

 

DARE WEAR WHITE SERIES, 1969

In a casting coup, J&J got reigning superstar Nora Aunor to appear in a new Beltless MODESS campaign that kept the “dare wear white” execution. In the end shot of the popular TVC, Aunor, resplendent in a white wedding gown, glances at her behind and say “ Sa MODESS ko lang ibibigay ang aking matamis na…OO”.

The Philippine-developed MODESS Beltless Sanitary napkin even went on to being successfully launched in other Asian countries. Today, MODESS has evolved further to offer a range of sanitary protection that caters to specific needs, with a younger target audience in mind.

SOURCE:

TRANSFORMATIONAL IDEAS: https://www.jnj.com.ph/about-jnj/company-history/healthcare-innovation