Libresse: Blood Normal
Libresse wanted to increase brand relevance and connection with its target audience of women. The client sought to address the pervasive stigma and unrealistic portrayal of menstruation in advertising, aiming to normalize periods and foster a more open conversation around women's bodies.
Creative Idea
The campaign broke taboos by showing real period blood and authentic menstrual experiences.
Libresse challenged the pervasive societal taboo around menstruation by explicitly showing real blood and authentic period experiences, effectively normalizing a natural bodily function and positioning the brand as a champion for honesty and body positivity.
Ending the Eighty Year Blue Liquid Era
From Corn Syrup to Cultural Shift
To dismantle the sterile "blue liquid" trope that dominated the industry for eight decades, the production team meticulously engineered a realistic substitute. Director Daniel Wolfe and cinematographer Monika Lenczewska used a precise blend of corn syrup and red food coloring, tempered with a dash of blue and green dye to achieve a visceral, opaque hue that felt authentic rather than cinematic. This commitment to realism extended to the "shower scene," which was intentionally framed as a mundane morning routine to strip away the "horror movie" stigma often associated with blood.
Creative Judo Against the Censors
When global broadcasters initially banned the spot for depicting bodily fluids, AMV BBDO employed a strategy they termed "creative judo." By leaking the ad online, they generated massive PR momentum that forced news programs to air clips of the "banned" content during prime-time reports. This effectively bypassed the censors and put the imagery on the very screens that had rejected it. The urgency of the project was fueled by a tragic 2017 report of a Kenyan student who committed suicide due to period shaming, giving the team a moral mandate to finalize the work.
Market Dominance and Social Share
The strategy translated into a commercial powerhouse. In the UK, Bodyform saw an 8% market share growth, while global markets running the campaign grew twice as fast as those that did not. The brand’s social share of voice surged from 37% to 90% within its category. Beyond the screen, the campaign permeated culture through a partnership with Viceland and a collaboration with French fashion house Dessu to create period-themed designer underwear. They even produced an inflatable pool lilo shaped like a giant sanitary pad to make the product a visible, unapologetic part of summer culture.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Libresse, as a leading feminine hygiene brand, possessed the authority and platform to credibly challenge category norms.
Category
The feminine hygiene category consistently used blue liquid and euphemisms, perpetuating a sanitized, unrealistic portrayal of menstruation.
Customer
Women felt a deep-seated frustration and shame around periods, longing for honest representation and an end to societal taboos.
Culture
A growing cultural movement advocated for body positivity, authenticity, and breaking taboos around natural bodily functions.
Company
Libresse, as a leading feminine hygiene brand, possessed the authority and platform to credibly challenge category norms.
Category
The feminine hygiene category consistently used blue liquid and euphemisms, perpetuating a sanitized, unrealistic portrayal of menstruation.
Strategy:
Challenge societal discomfort with natural bodily functions to foster authentic self-acceptance.
Customer
Women felt a deep-seated frustration and shame around periods, longing for honest representation and an end to societal taboos.
Culture
A growing cultural movement advocated for body positivity, authenticity, and breaking taboos around natural bodily functions.
Strategy:
Challenge societal discomfort with natural bodily functions to foster authentic self-acceptance.
Strategy Technique
Find the Missing Conversation
The campaign addressed the unspoken truth that periods involve real blood, a topic largely absent or euphemized in public discourse. It forced a conversation about authenticity and the normalization of menstruation.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Break the Norm
The campaign directly defied the long-standing advertising norm of depicting menstrual fluid as blue liquid. By showing real blood, it shattered a pervasive visual convention and challenged societal discomfort.
Explore Technique
