The first ever ad to feature actual period blood has dropped

Believe it or not, despite the fact that it is 2017, period blood has never actually appeared in an advert for sanitary products. We know, right?

Last year, the world applauded Bodyform for tackling a period taboo by stepping away from the typical shiny, happy towel/tampon commercials and featuring actual blood.

The problem? Though there was plenty of bleeding in the ad, no period blood actually featured.

But now one year later, Bodyform have upped the boundary breaking anti by releasing the first ever advert to feature menstrual blood itself.

Instead of the typical blue liquid used to depict period blood, the ad will feature a hand pouring a vial of realistic-looking blood onto a sanitary towel.

Later, we see a shot of a woman in the shower with droplets of blood running down her legs.

And the period taboo busting doesn’t end there as the ad also portrays a scene of a man casually popping into a shop to buy a pack of sanitary pads (presumably for a lady in his life). Zero embarrassment or awks.

“Periods are normal. Showing them should be too” the tagline reads. Too right!

The groundbreaking advert forms part of Bodyform’s Blood Normal campaign, which aims to normalise periods by representing them in a series of realistic scenarios. The overall goal is to help break down the stigma surrounding menstruation.

The ad follows research carried out by the brand in their ‘Period Taboo’ survey, which revealed that one in five women felt their confidence had been knocked as a result of periods not being discussed openly with them.

“We were so shocked by the results of our research that we publicly vowed to address the continued silence around periods,” said Traci Baxter, marketing manager at Bodyform.

“We believe that like any other taboo, the more people see it, the more normal the subject becomes. So for Bodyform, after showing blood and a real, in-situ sanitary towel, bringing the two together was a natural next step. In doing so, we remain committed to showing periods in everyday life, truthfully and honestly – because we feel it’s the right thing to do to. Together, we can help make blood normal.”

The release of the advert follows the suggestion by a charity that both boys and girls should be taught about periods in school to try to end the stigma surrounding menstruation.

Girls’ rights charity, Plan International UK, issued the advice because they believe not talking about periods can be hugely damaging.

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