Never Just A Period

Background: As a commitment to dynamite shame surrounding periods, vaginas, vulvas, and women+’s bodies, Libresse / Bodyform has been tracking the perception and prejudice of taboos globally through its Global V-Taboo Tracker since 2020. Four years on, Libresse / Bodyform is digging deeper than ever into the reality of women+’s experiences in relation to taboos. The considerably enriched study, listened to 10,000 people across 10 countries, exploring not only all stages of menstrual life in relation to taboos, but all dimensions of women+’s menstrual experiences. From attitudes to behaviours, knowledge, exposure and emotions, the result of this deeper listening has also informed the brand’s latest creative work. The new data reveals that more than half (59%) of those who menstruate wish they’d been taught more about their periods and intimate health. Creative Idea: “It’s Never ‘Just a Period” is about the gap between what we’re told and what it’s actually like. But that ends here, with a film that empowers women+ with knowledge, representing the truth of their experiences. Through boldly honest vignettes set to an all-female orchestral soundtrack, we exposed the previously untold, still-to-this-day-confusing-even-though-it’s-2025 period experiences, like plum-sized postpartum clots, disappearing post-contraception periods or getting your period whilst breastfeeding. Yes, that’s a thing. We wanted our film to be a living example of real positive change. Every story was inspired by real women+, reaffirmed by insights from our research project, the Global Vagina Taboo Tracker. Diverse casting ensured authentic portrayals of lived experiences, while mixed-media craft brought to life their emotional truths. From huuuuge coils to absurdly complex period instructions, visual hyperboles showed what these experiences actually feel like. They feel huge. They are huge. We developed a visual language which gave them the largeness they deserve, in a world that minimises and dismisses them. And we did it with humour–because that’s the truth of how we actually get through it, by laughing together. Our film’s final CTA “What do you wish you’d been told?” encouraged women+ worldwide to actively rewrite the narrative themselves, sharing their own experiences, and breaking the silence and misunderstanding around periods. 'Never Just a Period' operates as a reality check about what women+ actually go through without being properly prepared. Some of the shocking insights into women+’s experiences include: Only one in five of those who menstruate felt ‘calm and ready’ to start their first period; Two in five (42%) of those who menstruate feel the knowledge of their cycle has ‘lots of gaps’; 90% of those who menstruate know little to nothing about perimenopause; Only two in five of those who menstruate have felt comfortable enough to talk to Insights & Strategy: 300,000 years of homosapiens and girls still see blood in their pants and think they’re dying?? Centuries of misinformation and dismissal—81% of women+ have felt their periods aren’t taken seriously—have left women+ unprepared for a life inside their own bodies. We uncovered a daunting truth: 59% of women+ wish they’d been taught more about their periods, which feeds shame and taboos. This film’s for anyone who’s ever been told “it’s just a period.” For anyone who’s felt totally alone as they’ve asked themselves: How do I put a tampon up there? Why did nobody tell me you can get your period whilst breastfeeding? Endometri-WHAT? Execution: Aimed at highlighting the dissonance between what women are taught to expect, and the reality of their menstrual experiences, the campaign is led by a hero film that uses humour and mixed media to depict underrepresented experiences such as the pain of having a coil fitted and menstruating while breastfeeding. Throughout the film a female-only orchestra provides the music and reacts to the action in the style of a Greek chorus. The spot ends with the question, ‘What do you wish you’d been told?’ Results: And share they did. Assets featuring the CTA saw 3–4x more engagement, sparking global dialogue. Women+ confidently shared their desires to learn more about everything from ‘fluctuating hormones’, ‘PMDD’ and even ‘bum cramps’. Flipping a centuries-old narrative isn’t easy. But the conversation sparked by our film has already started to normalise periods. 41% of reactions to the campaign expressed gratitude, 34% described the campaign as making them feel ‘seen’, with the experiences of endometriosis and being dismissed by doctors called out. Amongst the comments of thanks, promises to teach and ask more, 7% of women+ told us the film had moved them to tears, a human expression of our film’s impact. These reactions didn’t just reflect appreciation—they marked a turning point in how women+’s periods -and Libresse - are perceived. In just 3 months, perceptions of Libresse as taboo breaking brand, - which had been static for the last 3 years - jumped 8% in the UK and 5% in Sweden, while perceptions of Libresse as a brand that does good in society saw a 5% leap in the UK.