Everyone has blind spots. We all go about doing things everyday out of habit and accepting things as they are without being aware if they are REAL or NOT.
There’s your friend who exclaims, “Well, I don’t remember seeing this restaurant – and I have driven through here like a million times!” Or the colleague who believes that she is “on top of things” when she has clearly missed out on a few spelling errors in a document after the 15th draft.
Then, there are the sanitary pad ads with girls wearing white, laughing and dancing, skipping around with joy – but, have you ever wondered how realistic these behaviours are when women are having their period?
The hardest thing about blind spots is that we don’t even realise that we have them…until someone points them out for us. So, how ARE “blind spots” on these ads impacting us?
To find out, feminine care brand Libresse launches the ‘Let’s Get Real’ campaign to raise awareness and trigger women to rethink what is depicted as “realities” in sanitary pad ads as well as their period experiences.
The campaign also gives women a platform to start the conversation on the topic which dispels myths of it being a taboo subject. a series of online polls which attracted more than 5000 respondents, Libresse shines a spotlight on honest consumer insights that acknowledge the challenges and hardships women encounter during their period. Based on these results, the campaign paves the way for more relevant communication and a more realistic representation of what women go through.
Women experience both physical and emotional discomforts and these three top the list – mood swings, cramps, and bloating. “The period experience is different for every woman – while some lucky few are not affected at all, most women are affected in some way so it would be good for ads to be more relevant.
After all, when a woman is feeling tired, in pain from cramps and not sleeping well, we are not going to be cheerful or energetic,” said special celebrity guest Adibah Noor. “While we don’t let it get in our way, our period experience is definitely not fun. So why should it be presented that way?”
Meanwhile, popular vlogger Shazreen Fazlynda said “I have never really questioned femcare ads before, but once I did, all the misrepresentations jumped out at me because my reality is far different! As a mum, my usual day involves rushing around between shoots and meetings with my baby in tow, regardless of cramps or tiredness.” Supporting the effort to raise awareness on period misrepresentation, Shazreen has produced a video which aims to bring the ‘Let’s Get Real’ message to life. The video can be viewed on her YouTube channel as well as the Libresse® Malaysia Facebook page.
So, do women do any of these when they get their period?
· Skip around with joy – 78 percent says they “feel lethargic and don’t want to move at all”;
· Choose to wear white – 78 percent says “no”, while most women (98 percent) claim they would feel “mortified or at least feel self-conscious when they get stains during the day”;
· Feel like being a social butterfly – more than half of the respondents would rather be alone or only prefer the company of close friends during this time;
· What about doing some serious exercising? Over half of the respondents (55 percent) choose to do light activities like yoga or skip any form of exercise completely;
· Sleep soundly – eight out of 10 women report disturbed sleep caused by period discomforts.
But life has to go on. Women don’t let it get in the way of their responsibilities – 7 in 10 women would go on to have a normal day or carry on as best they can, regardless of how they feel.
Nobody exemplifies this better than Petrina Thong, a 29-year-old Malaysian woman who embarked on a solo 13-month trip across 22 countries with only RM800 to her name. “I believe in questioning and breaking conventions, and I think it’s great for Libresse to raise awareness about sanitary pad ads – we should definitely take a second look and think about what’s being portrayed,” said Petrina.
Are we all ready to get real though?
While women know how to work their way around period discomforts, it seems that nine out of 10 women agree that pad ads should be more realistic.
On top of this, Faye Yong, Marketing Director for Southeast Asia (Feminine Products), related consumers across Asia are becoming more discerning and demanding about the brands they use. According to research*, today’s consumer wants brands that have character and personality; brands that build connections and tell relevant stories; brands that break down walls of misinformation, ignorance and inefficiencies.
* Trend Watching’s ‘5 Asian Trends for 2017’, January 2017 Asia Trend Briefing.
