Why you should always read your junk mail

I swear to whatever deity you like I am not making this up. Headline from a release passed on to me by Brandweek’s ace webmaster Rory Thompson:

The latest Feminine Hygiene’s Innovation in 50 years Addresses Global Warming Issue

What’s not to love? Not only does it take PR over-reach to a whole new level but it’s got an entirely superflous apostrophe s! Fun for the whole family.

There’s no point in gilding this particular lilly, so I’ll just quote from the release:

With temperatures rising across the country, everyone is aware of the issue of global warming. Fortunately, there is more emphasis on how individuals can be proactive about the issue in their daily life. Not every woman can buy a hybrid automobile, but one company is making a concentrated effort to educate woman about the positive environmental impact their feminine hygiene choice can make to the global warming issue. Diva International, creator of The DivaCup™, is on the leading-edge of the US $2.3 Billion in 2001 (expected $2.7 Billion in 2005) feminine hygiene market with their newly designed menstrual cup.

In 2000, over 55.9 million women (in the US alone) are monthly users of disposable feminine hygiene products. The 41 year menstruation span (11-52 years) creates billions of pounds of disposable feminine hygiene products being “dumped” into the environment each year. In 1998, the annual figures for the U.S. were estimated at 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons. Landfills are over-taxed with feminine hygiene products. Their manufacture uses great resources of energy. In addition, the additives and surfactants they contain pollute rivers, streams and oceans.

“Disposable feminine hygiene waste poses a continuing environmental issue. This has a serious impact on the environment and global warming. We are committed to decreasing this serious eco-footprint by offering The DivaCup™. We truly believe that menstrual cups are the next generation of feminine hygiene. An added benefit is that women can save $350 a year because The DivaCup™ is reusable”, states Carinne Pickering who began the company with her mother after completing an Honors Bachelor of Business degree from the prestigious Wilfrid Laurier University.

In the feminine hygiene category, where there have been very few innovations in over 50 years, the DivaCup™ represents a breakthrough product for women. With the focus on health and the environment, the company sets its sights on encouraging woman to consider this new wave in feminine hygiene.

After 10 years of successfully selling menstrual cups worldwide, the pair redesigned the device, making structural improvements and manufacturing it out of medical grade silicone. This material is the same type of silicone used in knee replacements and heart valves which makes The DivaCup™ comfortable, clean and long-lasting. Medical grade silicone has been safely and extensively used in medical devices for over five decades.

“With all the state-of-the-art conveniences Western society has developed, it baffles me why we are still using out-dated feminine hygiene concepts,” explains Francine who had the concept of a menstrual cup in her head for over 25 years. “I knew that I just had to offer this to other women around the world and I knew that it would be my lifelong passion. Health and the environment go hand-in-hand.”

Because the menstrual cup has never been linked to Toxic Shock Syndrome, women are also putting their concern for health to the forefront by purchasing this leading-edge alternative to tampons.

Talk about burying your lead. Their actual claim to anything is all in the last three graphs.

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