Unremarkable in theory but boundary-pushing in practice, the work courted buzz and complaints in equal measure in markets from the U.K. to Brazil to Australia.
Margaux Revol, strategy partner at AMV BBDO, said both the client and the agency team were, naturally, “nervous” about launching the global push, which followed an initial idea called “Live Fearless” that also focused on empowering women.
They needn’t have worried though; the campaign was based on Essity’s own 10,000-person study that showed 74% of men and women wanted to see more realistic period ads.
By bringing blood out of the dark, onto screens and into the conversation, “Blood Normal” paved a positive path for girls and women. The campaign launched in four countries, but reached over 32, as well as 4.5 billion people thanks to PR and social media coverage.
“We started with this more purpose-led advertising because we thought it was the right thing to do,” said Yrjölä. “But it quickly resonated with customers, and as we’ve evolved we’ve found a way to inject and integrate it into everything we do. AMV played a huge part in that.”
In 2018, Essity changed its corporate mantra to one based around “breaking barriers to well-being” for consumers and caregivers across the globe.
“It started with ‘Blood Normal,’ which helped us codify what works, and that has evolved over time,” Yrjölä continued.
Creativity and radical empathy
Since then, Revol’s team has delivered dial-moving campaigns for Libresse. “Viva La Vulva,” landed in 2018 as a kaleidoscopic ode to the female anatomy intended to move the brand beyond period care into intimate care.
Elsewhere, “Womb Stories,” which confronted everything from IVF treatment to endometriosis cramps and menopausal hot flashes and nipple hairs, shone a light on the unseen, unspoken and unknown truths about the physical experiences of people with uteruses.
