Challenger Brands

Essity Is Breaking Taboos Around Periods in Its Advertising

Taking risks doesn't come without its fair share of challenges, though

images of a woman in red stained underpants on the left, a cupcake shaped like a vulva in the middle, and a woman on the right in red underpants — Essity addresses taboos surrounding periods head-on in its advertising.Essity

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Everyone’s familiar with the classic format for a pad or tampon commercial: smiling women clad head-to-toe in white, flying across the screen in bursts of femininity and energy, not slowed down one bit by that pesky menstrual cycle, the color red avoided at all costs.

In the last few years, however, brands have worked to create a more honest portrayal of what it’s like to have a period. That work has won awards, gone viral and proven that breaking taboos in advertising to women is not only good for society but of strategic importance for brands that operate in this space.

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