2022 Winners & Shortlists

Why is this work relevant for Glass: The Award for Change

Periods have been a taboo topic for the longest time. For the first time ever, a local Egyptian brand talked about women's menstruation openly. The campaign encouraged people to talk, addressing women more specifically, saying that there is nothing to be ashamed of. It brought to life the secret language of women and shed light, and celebrated the solidarity between women because of this very natural process. We wanted to remove shame from periods. There is no use hiding something so normal that happens to almost every female for 40 years of her life. Not only so, it should also not be a source of shame or disadvantage for women in their day-to-day lives. Controversial as it was, people talked. Some were for the topic and the campaign, and some were against it. But for the first time ever, we started a conversation across generations and in different social contexts.

Background

Palma, a local Egyptian fashion brand, approached us explaining that although they’re reaching their sales target, they felt that their brand is lacking personality. After conducting some research, we came to the conclusion that girls use Palma products as their companions in their day-to-day moments - laptop sleeves at university, backpacks at work, and others. So, we wanted to take their companionship to the next level, sharing their day-to-day not only on a practical level, but on a social one. We wanted Palma to be the voice of women in situations where they aren’t necessarily comfortable speaking up, paving the way, and encouraging them to do that. Periods were the place to start, given how common they are and the opportunity for us to tap into and capitalize on an already existing solidarity and code between girls. Periods are not shameful. Being a woman is nothing to be ashamed of.

Describe the cultural / social / political climate in your region and the significance of your campaign within this context

It is a huge taboo to talk about anything period related in Egypt. Women hide their pads in black plastic bags when buying them, and they put them up their sleeves when they pass them under the table to give them to other girls in need. There are so many insights that highlight how women experience their periods in Egypt. This amplifies itself in the way women themselves are seen to be shameful beings. Many women are seen (and see themselves) as dirty or unclean when they have their periods, which is such a shame in and of itself. Many media outlets and TV shows reached out to feature our campaign on their channels but were later shut out because the topic is not allowed to be discussed so openly and publicly on a national level. But we have social media. We have the power of the people. We were able to talk and to start the conversation.

Describe the creative idea

The concept is very simple: we wanted to make women's lives easier in many ways. We worked with the Palma Team to create The Ultimate Period Kit, which is so useful for all girls. And with the kit, we were able to launch this first-of-its-kind campaign encouraging women to stop the shame and to start treating their periods as the natural phenomenon that they are. The insights featured in the music video are very relevant to most girls, so it was very simple and very relatable to many. It was a full campaign with the music video, influencer endorsements, social media content, and of course featuring the physical period kit. The main creative concept is all about talking about the topic for the first time in a way that is not cringy for the relevant target market and in a way that is relatable across generations.

Describe the strategy

We have conducted focus groups to gather insights of how girls work around their periods: how they pass their pads, how shameful it is to use tampons, how they help check each other out for "accidents". All these were super important in our process, and then later on in our execution. Our core target market are females between 18 and 30, but we had many males buying the products for the women they care for, which was quite surprising, and inspiring. We discussed the topic in a way that is inspiring and entertaining, and tried to featured a diversity of girls in order to be inclusive and not make it about a certain class or way of thinking. We launched the products first through an influencer campaign (35+ influencers) and then launched the video a few days later. Together, they got everyone talking for the first time ever.

Describe the execution

It took us some time to find the right insights. For example, why would a brand like Palma talk about periods? Since Palma's products are seen as day-to-day partners in women's lives, it makes sense to be closer to them and to start important conversations. So we developed the period kit with the brand team - went through the full design process and started production. As for the campaign, we had lots of very relevant insights from early in the process. The song was initially very different, and in English actually, but we decided to reach a wider audience by speaking the mother tongue so it becomes truly disruptive. It was a minimum crew type of production and it featured lots of girls. The timeline was a bit slack at the beginning but it became very tight come music and video production. As it launched, it flew on its own!

Describe the results / impact

Brand awareness about Palma skyrocketed, and within days, the Ultimate Period Kit had to be restocked three times. The impact was incredible. A lot of controversy was stirred. Many girls liked the concept and the campaign, and some didn't. But most talked. Whether publicly or in social circles. 35+ influencers featured the kit on their Instagram stories free of charge, and tens of top digital media outlets and magazines reposted the video and started their own conversations around the topic. Talking about the period wasn't shameful anymore. Being a woman wasn't shameful anymore. The campaign reached over 1 million people collectively on Palma's Facebook and Instagram, apart from the videos that were reposted by others. On Instagram, 2400 people saved the video, 5620 people sent it to others, and there were tens of thousands of interactions and engagements. Other brands followed and started featured the period in a different light.