Life

This Tampon Ad Includes Something Important

by Emma Cueto

Anyone who has ever had a period (or sat through a half-decent health class) knows that blood is a pretty big part of the process; however, if you just watched commercials for period supplies, you'd have no idea. But now, at long last, Bodyform has released a period commercial that includes blood. And even though I find it kind of funny that this is newsworthy, it's actually really freaking newsworthy!

Trying to advertise period supplies is always kind of strange and dicey business. There's the occasional terrible and offensive ad, and the occasional ad that makes periods seem actually amusing and whimsical. But most ads are pretty predictable — and feature that strange blue liquid instead of anything resembling blood. What even is that stuff? Why is it blue? Is there even anything blue that comes out of bodies ever?

Of course, it's hard to truly fault ad makers for trying to make period supply commercials distinctly scrubbed of anything resembling an actual period, given the difficulties companies that try to be more honest can run into. Of course, if cis men had periods, this would be a whole other story, but since periods are percieved as a "woman thing," apparently the the whole subject is taboo.

Unless you're the UK-based company Bodyform, whose new ad for period supplies features actual blood. Not menstrual blood, sure, but blood. Because that is what the whole thing is about.

And whether it's a nosebleed...

...or a skinned elbow.

A combat injury...

...or one from ballet...

...people who menstruate don't let blood stop us.

So why shouldn't it be included in ads for products literally designed to sop up blood? Watch the whole video below:

Images: BodyformChannel/YouTube (4)