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Client: Essity
Product: Bodyform/Libresse
Title: Viva La Vulva
Media: Online
Country: United Kingdom
Date Of Campaign: October 2018

Background: Libresse is known for its period care products and taboo-breaking period campaigns. To enter into intimate care, they needed to show they also cared for vulvas. In a culture that censors positive representations of vulvas, and with the explosion of porn culture, the myth of the perfect vulva has become a toxic issue: almost half women feel embarrassed by part of their own bodies; and labiaplasty is the fastest growing cosmetic surgery in the world - with girls as young as 9 asking for it.

Idea: “Viva La Vulva” was born to challenge this gap in truthful and positive representations of women’s genitals. A classic lip sync music video with a twist, featuring singing vulvas in every shape size and colour, from oysters to conch shells, puppets, button holes, cupcakes, origami, purses and plenty more. And the women who love them - from young women to new mothers to older post-menopausal women.The film doesn’t just show the beautiful and underrepresented diversity of vulvas, it actively subverts as many harmful myths, stereotypes and taboos as possible:So there is a singing camel toe, to fight the societal stigma around it. A woman holds a mirror to look at her vulva, not ignore it. Barbie pops up, outraged her genitals have been erased. The campaign has been created to foster a more open culture where women can feel proud of what they have, can feel ok about talking about their genitals and can care for it without feeling ashamed. Because quite simply, if we can’t have a positive, unashamed relationship with the most intimate part of our body, we can’t have a positive relationship with ourselves. As the Camille Yarborough track goes: ‘You make me feel like a woman, I’m so glad your mine’

Results: The bull’s eye target for the campaign was Libresse’s usual audience, women 18-39yo, aiming at becoming relevant to them any time of the month (beyond 5 days). The campaign reached 90% of the target audience with engagement levels 3 times higher than the previous product-led campaign and the lowest CPM for all platforms. The long film was aimed at a wider audience through earned media, to change attitudes and open conversations at scale.Prominent opinion leaders have voiced their praise, and women everywhere have voiced their thanks.As Caitlin Moran tweeted: “I might even buy A SECOND FANNY, in celebration”.