Libra launches global #bloodnormal campaign in Australia and New Zealand to normalise periods in mainstream culture via AMV BBDO, London
Feminine care brand Libra has today launched its global award-winning campaign #bloodnormal to Australian audiences as part of its mission to tackle period stigma head on. The campaign was created by AMV BBDO London and adapted for local Australian audiences.
The #bloodnormal film features the experience of periods, and period blood, openly and honestly in an attempt to normalise periods in mainstream culture.
The film follows a series of young women in real- life scenarios, going about their daily lives while having their period. It’s a sensitive portrayal of the everyday journey of menstruating women; demonstrating that periods – in all their forms – are normal and that showing them should be too.
In an Australian first for a feminine care brand, the typical blue liquid used to denote blood is replaced with a more realistic red to demonstrate a pad’s absorbency and, crucially, blood is depicted on women’s pads.
This campaign, which seeks to educate rather than shock, has garnered a number of international accolades, including the Glass Lion for Change at Cannes in 2018.
TVCs of 30” and 15” will air in Australia from Sunday 18 August onwards during Network 10 programming such as The Bachelor, The Project and Gogglebox.
In addition to the TVCs, Libra has worked with a number of local agencies to bring the #bloodnormal message to audiences via paid, owned and earned media.
Says Caitlin Patterson, executive general manager of Asaleo Care’s Retail Business Unit: “For Libra, as the only Australian made brand of feminine care products, it is so important to us that we employ local creative talent and assets to help us to amplify the message to Aussie girls and women that periods are normal.”
To normalise the conversation, for the first time in Neighbours’ 34-year history, Libra has worked with the writers to integrate a period storyline into the show.
Libra’s organic and paid social isn’t afraid to ‘go there’ when it comes to menstruation. Libra’s Instagram page encourages people to ‘Ask Gem’ any weird and wonderful questions about periods while the website has a series of tools and articles for ladies to feel empowered when on their period.
To drive earned media, Eleven has developed a #bloodnormal campaign Libra manifesto that plays on Australia’s love of the word ‘bloody’, giving blood and periods an empowering, positive spin.
The manifesto will be brought to life with a series of influencer activations throughout August and September.
The voice of a generation, Shameless discussed the manifesto on an exclusive podcast episode on August 12.
“Bloody Awesome” T-shirts, printed with the Libra manifesto, will also be made available to Australians to show support for the campaign and encourage women to feel empowered about having a period. All profits will be donated to Share the Dignity.
Says Patterson: “Periods are a normal part of life, but largely ignored by mainstream media. They simply don’t feature in the representation of female characters that we see every day.”
A recent survey of 1,000 people found that 3 in 4 women believe there is still a stigma attached to periods and 8 out of 10 women admit to hiding their period whether at home, at work or at school.
In a society that is becoming increasingly tolerant, the survey found that 67 per cent of teenage girls would rather fail a subject at school than have their class know they were on their period.
Says Patterson: “As a leader in feminine care that has been manufacturing in Australia for over 40 years, we have been challenging the stigma around periods for decades, however this research has highlighted just how far we have to go.
“We believe that like any other taboo, the more people see it, the more normal the subject becomes. We want to lead the way with a campaign that tackles the issue in a positive way, showing periods in action in everyday life truthfully and honestly – because we really care about the wellbeing of Australian women and girls.”
Overport – social media
Channelle Calderwood – Creative Director
Leah D’Sylva – Account Director
Gemmah Irving – Account Manager
Georgia Donaldson – Community Manager
Yoke – website
Phoebe Dann – UX/UI Designer
Ryan Nadzielski – Creative Director
Michelle Burgess – Digital Production
Marah Houlihan – Key Account Director
Eleven – PR
Russ Tucker – Group Creative Director
Katrina Alvarez-Jarratt – Creative Director
Amy Ashworth – Group Client Partner
Maggie Stergiopoulos – Business Director
Reegan Saiani – Business Manager
Meredith Besseling – Creative
Anne Lau – Creative
Charlotte O’Rourke – Production
OMD – Media Australia
Antonia Glezakos – Managing Partner
Penny Shell – Melbourne Head of Product and National Head of Planning
Valerie Murphy – Account Director
Hannah Nickels – Account Director OMD Create
PHD – Media NZ
Morgan Johnston – Digital Planner
Abby Parkin – Group Business Director
Nureete Burnie – Senior Account Manager
Libra
Caitlin Patterson – Executive General Manager – Retail
Laura Demarchi – Libra Marketing Manager
Nicole Sherwin – Digital Marketing & eCommerce Manager
49 Comments
We all know periods are a normal fact of life . To show the blood loss etc in such detail on tv is total unnecessary.
There is no need to be so explicit. The advert becomes offensive instead of highlighting a sensitive issue .
Hooray! Thank you my thoughts exactly…
It’s more about the brand n shock value as opposed to the welfare of women’s issues
I wipe my ass. It’s normal. I don’t need to show you though, it would be a bit unnecessary, wouldn’t it?
Sorbent #PooNormal coming soon
Your aversion to this idea is exactly why it needed to be made.
Thank you for you time.
You’re response is the exact reason why an ad like this is so important, and if you don’t understand that then you’re part of the problem.
BLOODY BRILLIANT
Credit to the agency but mostly the client for boldly going where no sanitary brand has gone before. This will be the ‘Dove ad’ of this decade and stir up a lot of conversation beyond periods. Fucking love it.
Yes all women know about their periods. Part of a female. However as my husband myself and our friends we’re eating dinner and this ad came on we all crossed knives and forked and shared bathrooms vomiting. It was the most disgustingly thing I have ever seen. Please please give us women a little modesty.
This is just the Libra Sweden ad from 2017?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm8vCCBaeQw
Why are there credits? ^^^^^
Amazing example of a brand leading, changing and influencing society and social conversation and it ACTUALLY BEING RELEVANT TO THE BRAND.
Brand managers – take note.
Lots of really nice moments in here. I like it.
Guys this is a 2 year old commercial.
It’s a really good one.
BUT IT’S TWO YEARS OLD AND WON LOTS OF AWARDS AND IS GREAT
Is this really an industry blog where the majority of users are so out of touch???
Again I must stress – I love this commercial – I love everything about it.
BUT
I just can’t fathom how naive everyone seems to be??
This isn’t new work???????
This shouldn’t be surprising anyone who claims to work in advertising.
But it is and I’m scared now.
I mean, no, it’s not new news. And it’s actually more than 2 years old, it first won a Gold Film lion in 2016 for the very first ad that started this campaign.
At the same time, the local client adopting the work and launching it to this market for the first time is still, in my opinion, worth the effort of a press release letting the industry know as much.
So, stop clutching your pearls and take a beat. Yes, anyone in this industry who doesn’t know this work deserves to be shown the door at the earliest opportunity, but there are always going to be idiots. Rest assured that the vast majority know this work well, and no one is trying to pass it off as something new created locally.
Bit of a blow to their agency of record.
As you say “you wipe your ass, but dont need to show it,”
We have periods… we don’t need to show it!
Your just creating sensation to sell your products.
Disgusting!
No Debbie, sensation is shaming women (celebs) who are photographed at the beach with a spot of blood on their bathers or a tampon string visible to sell magazine. It’s culture constantly grooming girls and women to be ashamed of something they have no control over. So from the moment they get their first period until they hit menopause they’re too embarrassed to give the real reason why they have to leave work early, why they can’t have sex tonight or why they don’t want to participate in the school swimming carnival. If you’re going to be disgusted at anything, surely it would be that…
This is not about blood, it’s about shame.
So fucking what. Who the fuck gives a shit. You’re a moron !
Yes exactly!!! Thank you 🙋♀️
So the only original content, the “website” or landing page for the campaign (https://lovelibra.com/au/bloodnormal/) doesn’t even work… sigh
Oh do f*ck off
The issue with the site is, someone needs to fix that broken link ASAP
I’m a youngish woman n I feel we should leave some mystery to the wonderment of womanhood
This add is a joke. What’s next shit on toilet paper.
Seems.. unnecessary. We don’t need to show period blood on tv to avoid stigmatising women. I find this commercial just kinda gross and will make a mental note not to purchase their products.
I really don’t like this ad
Got this one wrong Libra. Some things don’t need to be seen and this is one of them.
I would suggest that you look for a new advertising company that has less feminist views.
I will be boycotting your products from today until this ad is removed from my TV.
My adult son was sitting next to me when this ad came on the TV and his comment was this ad is equally as unnecessary as the bonds ad for men’s undies. Neither of us find these ads appropriate. They turn us off the product.
How low can you go.
I will never buy Libra again.
What sort of minds come together and create this disgusting peice of crap you call marketing. Is this the future of advertising? Would TENA incontinence pads show an 80 year old woman with urine or feaces running down her legs? Some things require privacy and dignity, just like women menstruating. There are other ways to convey this message. How about conversations between boyfriends and bosses that bring understanding and acceptance of what we go through, not shame and embarrassment. You make me sick…
This is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen this blog be over-run by holier than now trump supporting trolls.
Campaign brief is not where you ask to speak to the manager Karen.
I’d love to see Australia step up and make a commercial as revolutionary as this.
This is power.
Time to start unsettling people.
Not necessary – over the top, we are well aware from all the other period ads what its all about, as a Dad with a pre-teen daughter about to experience a period for the first time, not sure how this helps
Is nothing sacred anymore. No one needs to see this on tv. It looked like someone had been attacked or something. Shocked to see this. My 22 year old daughter was disgusted and so was I. Some things are a personal thing and should not be “ in your face “. Shameful and disgraceful ad. This ad made me nauseous to say the least. Please take it off tv.
I get the feeling all the left wing feminazi comments on this site are written by the same annoying person who thinks it’s a fabulous ad. It’s a pathetic ad aimed to shock. It’s not empowering young women, it’s embarrassing them. Periods are a normal part of life. Thinking we have to show everyone what a used pad looks like is not normal. It’s aggressive in-your-face advertising pretending to do women a favour. If it’s normal for people to see women’s period blood, we would see it. Normal women look after themself, with respect for themself and others, by keeping this part of their hygiene to themself. Toileting is private for a reason. We do not need to see this. This ad changes nothing.
I appreciate that marketing products used for menstruation can be difficult from a creativity point of view. However, in my personal opinion I find the graphic imagery and vulgar content of Libra’s Blood Normal campaign abhorrent, offensive and unnecessary. I personally do not believe there is a ‘stigma’ or any ‘shame’ around having a period. It is a fact of life and does not need further discussion or publicity. What I do know to be true is that there is a reasonable level of modesty and decorum toward this particular bodily process and rightly so. I also find that the campaign is partly a feminist flex to create unnecessary noise about a completely natural process. The visual depiction of the campaign, in my opinion is completely unwarranted and whilst masquerading behind ‘destigmatisation’ it ultimately seeks the objective of branding and profitability. If we extend the Blood Normal campaign mechanic to the male anatomy should we expect Durex to ‘normalise’ male ejaculation whilst marketing condoms?
Also, didn’t Bodyform UK do Blood Normal campaign in 2017?
People don’t have an aversion to seeing period blood because of the shame and stigma surrounding menstruation, Libra; they have an aversion to bodily fluids in general, which as someone said, is exactly why we do our toiletries in private. And it doesn’t matter how much you ram it down their throats, women are not going to be changing pads in public because they want their privacy for toiletries. I’m willing to bet 67% of high school girls wouldn’t want their peers to know they just did a number 2 in the bathroom either.
This campaign, like so many third wave feminist exploits aiming to shock society into agreeing with them, will serve only to regress the cause. You can normalise the talk of it without disgusting people with the sight of it.
I had fun explaining this to my 7 year old son last night. Lots of questions were asked after he saw it on TV last night. Wasn’t quiet ready for it.
You guys (literally) could be trolling but I am so horrified at the comments from the ladies here. The fact that you find this ad shocking is like someone else above said, the exact reason it needs to exist. Shame on you for shaming yourselves.
Now you’re shaming a woman for having decorum, self respect and dignity?? Shame on YOU.
(To: where my ladies at?)
@Where my ladies at? Agree. It seems highly doubtful there are this many real women who actually think that the shame, euphemisms and hushed whispers approach to sanitary products is in women’s interests. ‘Mystery’ when it comes to periods stigmatises women’s normal bodily functions, and don’t even get me started on comparing them to defecating. This attitude hurts and limits women and girls (particularly girls) so much.
The Libra Pads Ad with the girl with blood running down her leg in the shower , is the worst & most disgusting Ad ever!! That is wrong on so many levels. I will never use your products again & will tell my friends.
Can’t believe anyone could have come up with that.
I think this is really great communication.
The commercial is a celebration of a natural bodily function that has been stigmatised in our culture.
Having a period is different to going to the toilet. Only women have periods whilst everyone goes to the toilet.
It’s a sad cunning play by the patriarchy to make people hush up about menstruation. Through making us all be ashamed by what for most women is a naturally occurring bodily process, men can have more power over women.
People should be equal.
Celebrating the difficulty of menstruation and finding the beauty in it is a journey towards self acceptance for many women. For men, it’s a journey towards a genuine acceptance towards women. That’s got to be a good thing.
I’m sorry that you feel so oppressed @Simon Green.
However, what you’re saying about it being a ploy by the patriarchy is rubbish. Even in matriarchal indigenous groups they practice the idea of secret women’s business. Always have, probably always will, if given the choice. It’s not shame. It’s respect.
By the way, your last paragraph gives you away as a female using a male pseudonym.
This ad is another example of far-left views of our culture. Shameful. This has nothing to do with the welfare of females and is disrespectful on so many levels. My husband, my teenage son, my father – they DO NOT NEED TO SEE WHAT GOES ON IN THE BATHROOM. What’s next – showing everyone how to insert and remove a tampon?
I am absolutely disgusted by this ad and Libra as a company. I will never buy your products again.
Good rule of thumb- anyone who refers to women as ‘females’ doesn’t view us as fully human and equal to men.
‘Secret women’s business’ is a ploy to keep women in an ‘other’ category. Periods are not a big deal and women and girls will live more fulfilling lives if they’re not ashamed and uncomfortable about something that is completely normal and natural.
It’s really simple actually, for the (incredibly dense) people who still don’t get it and insist on comparing it to using the toilet- it’s entirely normal to ask where the bathroom is and excuse yourself to use it- so, although periods are obviously not equivalent to excrement beyond the bare fact that both are bodily functions that are completely normal, women should be able to similarly acknowledge their period, ask for a pad, etc. without shame. Content like this can help dismantle the discomfort and shame that women and girls have been conditioned to feel, helping us (as individuals and as a society more broadly) progress to a far more healthy relationship with our bodies (in this one limited context- but hey, progress is progress).
@Alexandra @Zoey and @Kaylene Whitley .. wow, welcome! I’m amazed that time machines were finally invented and you’ve arrived from 1950 and using the internet. Must be overwhelming but welcome to 2019, I hope you learn a lot.
I saw the TVC last night in The Bachelor – was watching with my wife and a female friend.
They were both horrified and thought the creative was totally unnecessary.
Both commented that Libra have missed the mark and should be using the pain, discomfort, emotions, inconvenience and wardrobe mishaps as the message and not the blood. The blood is the bi-product of all the other issues they have to endure.
They are both in TV, brand and marketing so have a professional opinion as well as their personal opinion.
Last night Libra lost 2 customers so not sure their strategy is working.
What next real poo in toilet paper ads ?!
Marketing 101: you’re not the consumer.
Pretty sure they’re not seeking the devotion of middle aged Marketers.
Take a look at Libra’s Instagram & the success of the campaign is apparent.
This occurs when consumers are asked by researchers in groups to discuss what they like/dislike most about sanitary product advertising. In almost all I’ve been privy to there are hoots of derision about the ‘stupid blue liquid thing they always do’ and how daft brands are for ‘showing slow motion footage of women in white trousers, or shorts being active’ then they all fall about laughing.
The client and the creative team behind the glass can’t believe their eyes and ears and busily start scribbling down ideas like the offending Libra one.
Based on the ‘research’ the ad gets made and goes to air.
Then the defecation really hits the rotary oscillator as every enraged, professional letter writer, troll, philistine, or fembot takes public issue with the work.
To see the Paradox Warp in action, please read comments above.
The sight of blood, for some, can be enough to cause serious mental disturbance. If the news reporters have to announce a courtesy warning that ‘images may be disturbing for some people’ to protect people’s welfare, it should be no different prior to each televised advertisement such as this: featuring blood. Some people live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The sight of any blood can throw them into a flashback and have dire consequences. No amount of throwing a person back into a trauma state ‘normalises’ their experience of the condition.
I also feel so sorry for every single man that has to watch this. I’m embarrassed on their behalf. Who ever said that periods ‘AREN’T’ normal?? What actually needs destigmatising here??
I don’t go around leaving used tampons to prove a point.
Some people aren’t comfortable with such graphics and ramming it in their face is just not helpful at all.
As soon as I see the start of that traumatising ad, I always change the channel and vow to never buy Libra. They’ve lost their minds.
WHERE is the sensitivity in the world?? ***Desensitising people turns them into robots, NOT all-encompassing-period-lovers.***