Libresse Let's Get Real Launch with Adibah Noor

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 realize 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. Using 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.

Let's Get Real with (L-R) Petrina Thong, Shazreen Fazlynda, Faye Yong of Libresse Malaysia & Adibah Noor

As Seen in the Media…?

So, what are some common features shown in sanitary pad ads today?  Poll respondents say these are what they usually see:

• Girls laughing, dancing or skipping around with joy

• Girls wearing white or light coloured clothing

• Girls waking up bright and cheerful

• Girls being super active and doing sports

True? Every woman has a tale to tell about her period experience, and it can be very different from how it’s portrayed. In fact, nine out of 10 respondents feel that most sanitary pad ads are missing the mark. But if the ads aren’t realistic, then what is?

What Women Are Saying

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,” says 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?”

Popular vlogger Shazreen Fazlynda agrees – “I 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 mom, 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.  

(L-R) Petrina Thong, Adibah Noor, and Shazreen Fazlynda invite Malaysians to share their real period stories on Libresse Malaysia Facebook fanpage

But, hey, life goes on… women don’t let it get in the way of their responsibilities – seven 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,” says Petrina.

Now, speak up about your period experience with Libresse® and join the ‘Let’s Get Real’ campaign advocates to kick-start honest and accurate representations of what women go through.  

What do you think of pad ads yourself?  Do you think they need to reflect what it’s really like to have period?  What do you really go through during that time of the month? Share your message with other women on www.facebook.com/LibresseMalaysia.

I'm ready to share my experience with other girls, how about you? 

Love,