If you never knew what periods looked like and come across a sanitary pad or tampon advertisement online or on TV, you’d be forgiven into thinking that periods are indeed blue IRL.
After all, these ads usually portray periods in a rather unrealistic way, by opting for a mysterious blue-hued elixir (and not red) that’s typically poured onto a pad to showcase the product’s absorbency or how much it can hold.
However, a sanitary pad brand called Bodyform has recently gained global attention for being the first brand in the UK to depict sanitary pads stained with red liquid, in place of the traditional blue, in its latest advert, BBC reported.
Source: newsweek
Besides the red liquid that soaks the sanitary pad in the opening scene, it also shows ‘real blood’ via a close-up of a woman’s thighs as she takes a shower, zooming in on the trickling blood that runs down her legs – a pretty common sight for any woman who’s ever menstruated but for some reason, is considered taboo.
Source: BBC
Meanwhile, another scene shows a guy buying a pack of pads, probably for his girlfriend/wife etc. Come on, we’re sure you’ve asked your s/o to get you some during an emergency!
This ad is part of the Bodyform’s brand new #bloodnormal campaign, which aims to challenge (and kill) the stigma surrounding periods by “bringing blood out of the dark, onto our screens and into the conversation” since periods are such a normal part of life and women shouldn’t be ashamed about it.
Source: BBC
Moreover, after conducting a study, they discovered that 74 per cent of people wanted to see more realistic representation of periods in adverts, and we definitely think Bodyform’s ad is refreshingly different!
Netizens who saw this ad were pretty impressed by the brand’s bold move and believe that it’s a marketing strategy that could potentially change stereotypes.
Watch the ad here:
Well, we here at WOB think it’s pretty brilliant. Plus, it’s about bloody time we put an end to menstruation stigma. Period.
What do you think of this ad?
Also read: Protesters Made Signs Using Own Period Blood At Women’s Day Rally
