Libresse won’t stop before taboos regarding the V-zone are shattered to pieces! By working together with Libresse we help them carry out this joint mission. Earning attention with the #bloodnormal campaign, celebrating vulvas in Viva La Vulva and the #womb stories all contribute to more awareness on this topic. An important social mission, and one that HPB is very happy to commit to. In this new campaign, the focus lies on the topic of #periodsomnia.
Menstruation and surrounding topics are still a taboo in many places. Many women+ are ashamed of menstrual bleeding. And that’s not only in bright daylight, but also at night. Recent research1 by our client Libresse, shows that women lose an average of five months of sleep in their lifetime as a result of their period. It’s high time to draw attention to this and help women. That’s why we organized “Libresse Midnight Period Yoga” to provide relief from the pain and anxiety right before women start their nights. A virtual yoga class, taught by Milou Turpijn, focused on alleviating the well-known complaints. This session was streamed live by nearly 400 people, and is still available on the channel.
Losing five months of sleep
As a result of menstruation, women+ worldwide lose a lot of sleep in their lives. The majority (56%) of Dutch women+2 indicate that their sleep is negatively influenced by their menstruation. 21% say they feel exhausted during these days. Cramps (51%) and fear of period leaks (33%) are the main reasons for sleep loss. This research forms the basis for Libresse's latest taboo-breaking campaign; #periodsomnia, which introduces the new Goodnight sanitary pads with Max Cour-VTM adaptive technology.
But why aren't women getting the sleep they need? For most (51%), it's the pain and discomfort of cramps. The worry of potentially having period leaks can have a profound effect on how well and how many hours women sleep. For one in five Dutch women+ (22%) this fear leads to a bad night's sleep. This is a real fear; because at night when the body is in a relaxed state, it actually loses more blood.
#periodsomnia
The restlessness and uncertainty associated with menstruation lead to long nights of insomnia - aptly called 'periodsomnia' by Libresse. Menstrual-related sleeping problems cause a difference in sleep between those who do and those who do not menstruate, also known as the menstrual sleep gap. With the #periodsomnia campaign, Libresse aims to address the menstrual sleep gap by shining a light on the experiences of millions of women+ who brave the night while on their period. From twisting and tossing, hoping the pads stay in place to taking a warm bath at 2 a.m.
The campaign includes a short film on what women+ experience during their period at night.
Film production is done by AMV BBDO.
By acknowledging these shared experiences, Libresse aims to take away some of the pain and anxiety that surrounds this issue. Too many women+ think they are alone in this.
“We want to make people aware of these underreported issues affecting millions of women+ around the world. And above all, we want to emphasize that women+ should not be ashamed of it. Of course we can't solve all experiences of women+ who are menstruating, but our products are designed to help them feel more protected and reassured. And thus contribute to a better night's sleep”, says Dorothée Vanderbroeck, Senior Brand Manager Libresse.
Goodnight protection
To soothe the discomforts of women+ during menstruation as much as possible, Libresse gave introduction to Goodnight sanitary pads with Max Cour-VTM adaptive technology. Specifically designed for women+ bodies; the product takes on and perfectly fits the natural shape of women+.
Attention for the new campaign
People can see the #periodsomnia campaign on online channels such as YouTube but also through influencers, social media, sampling campaigns as well as in-store brand activations. Marketing Tribune, Flair, Fonk, Happy in Shape and other outlets wrote about the campaign.
Statement accountability on research
1 The international survey was conducted by Ketchum Research and Analytics, on behalf of Essity and Libresse. A total of 10,871 people were surveyed in: the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Sweden, China, Argentina, Australia, Columbia, Russia, Malaysia and Jordan. Fieldwork ran from December 24 to January 24 and was conducted by Dynata.
2 The Dutch share of the survey was a total of 420 respondents.
