Have you seen the new commercial for Kotex?

Or maybe you read about the edgy ad campaign in the New York Times. The ads feature the same, vivacious, youthful, put-together women you’d see in any typical tampon commercial.

But what comes out of their mouths is something completely different: a parody-slash- meta-critique of conventional tampon ads where jogging on the beach and the confident wearing of white pants stand in for the monthly condition that dares-not-speak-its-name.

Call it “truth” for tampons.

Truth, of course, is the powerful anti-tobacco campaign that takes aim at Big Tobacco’s dastardly marketing tactics to discourage young people from lighting up. Kotex is taking a similar nudge-nudge approach. Except this time it’s young women (demo target: 14 to 21) who are in on the joke.

I like it. Also cool: Kotex is donating proceeds to Girls for a Change, a group that mentors girls to become social change leaders.

Companies and nonprofits alike take a certain risk when they use humor to get their message across (ask anyone who’s had a joke flop, big time). But when it comes to marketing to women in particular, the earnest continues to dominate. Nothing wrong with earnestness. But a little sly humor, and er, freshness, goes a long way.