Unilever laundry brand Persil has joined forces with Arsenal Football Club to unveil a campaign challenging the potential shame surrounding period stains in sports.
“Every stain should be part of the game”, created by MullenLowe, calls out the double standard in sports, where blood stains from injuries obtained while playing the game may become badges of honour, while period stains can be met with embarrassment. Its aim is to empower the next generation of girls to play sports without fear of stains.
The campaign line-up includes Arsenal Women’s Football Club captain Kim Little, and players Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Katie McCabe.
It includes a 50-second film starring Arsenal forward Mead and featuring footage of female athletes taking part in various different sports and showing how grass, mud and sweat stains are part of the game.
The ad goes on to question “What about blood?” and highlights that six in 10 girls fear playing sports because they worry about period leaks. The film ends with Mead, alongside Little and McCabe, emphasising that every stain should be part of the game.
The out-of-home element of the campaign consists of real images of female athletes who have bled during their performances, with the stains transformed into statements through juxtaposing blood-stained underwear and grass-stained shirts to question why they are viewed differently in sports.
The OOH and print assets link to a video content series where Arsenal players give guidance to coaches, parents and teachers regarding how they can tackle the conversation around period stains.
The push launched around Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in Islington ahead of the North London derby on 16 February, and the activity included a pre-match video and a programme takeover too.
A second burst of content will go live on International Women’s Day (8 March) and run nationwide near Women’s Super League stadiums and schools, with further activity planned for World Menstruation Day in May and the Women’s Euros in July.
The campaign was directed and photographed by Jane Stockdale through You Are Here.
