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A period campaign actively provoking anger

Seeing Red campaign by Hey Girls, UK

UK – Social enterprise Hey Girls has launched an advertisement that intentionally makes viewers angry, connecting their feelings with those who experience period poverty.

The Seeing Red campaign embraces an emotion that most brands would want to avoid in their advertising, turning it into a way to communicate the shame, embarrassment and belittlement felt by some people unable to afford period products.

Created by advertising agency Adam & Eve DDB, the film features numerous characters, including a girl caught unprepared by her period at school. To create the film, the agency collaborated with a social psychologist, utilising scientific research to inform colour choices, visuals and sound cues in order to elicit feelings of anger among viewers.

‘Every creative choice was measured against one question: will it make people angry?’ explains Laura Rogers, global creative director at Adam & Eve DDB. ‘This sometimes put us at odds with our instincts to refine and finesse. But when it felt uncomfortable, we knew we were on the right track.’

While the campaign grabs attention by making people feel uneasy, it also demonstrates how brands and advertisers can be effective in highlighting and eradicating period poverty.

Social Tourist’s fashion line is led by influencers

Social Tourist by Hollister and Charli and Dixie D'Amelio, US

US – Apparel brand Hollister is turning to social media personalities Charli and Dixie D’Amelio to grow a fashion label for digitally native Generation Z.

This multi-year partnership will begin with the creation of Social Tourist, a youth-focused fashion brand that takes inspiration from the D’Amelio sisters’ own experiences on social media. The range will feature gender-inclusive designs, trend-led products, swimwear and limited-edition pieces, with new products available every month to retain engagement among Gen Z audiences.

To create the brand, Hollister engaged the D'Amelios on product design, selection, branding and marketing for Social Tourist – with all decisions taken to reflect the digitally native lifestyles of young people. ‘Charli and Dixie are the quintessential example of what it’s like to grow up in the digital world, and we've always believed they authentically represent our teen customers’ mindset both online and in real life,’ says Kristin Scott, global brand president at Abercrombie & Fitch Co, parent company of Hollister.

Through this collaboration, Hollister shows how brands can break out of creative ruts by welcoming external perspectives and collaborators – something we identify in our Outside Insiders trend within Elastic Brands.

Excedrin pain relief targets headache-prone gamers

US – Pain relief brand Excedrin is using Twitch to reach and engage with the gaming community, having recognised this group’s propensity for headaches.

For its latest campaign, the brand has created a series of short, animated videos to raise awareness of headaches resulting from screen time, positioning Excedrin as the ‘ultimate ally’ for gamers.

Alongside this, the brand is partnering with streaming platform Twitch to develop a six-step mindfulness routine to improve focus for gamers and optimise their performance. The routine recommends that gamers self-administer hand massages, embrace deep breathing and spend time doodling on paper.

‘This is the first health or pharma partnership with Twitch on this scale,’ says Rishi Mulgund, brand director at Excedrin. ‘We are for stopping headaches, no matter where they are. So playing both sides – medicinal and non-medicinal – makes sense.’

With the health impacts of gaming often scrutinised by the media, as well as parents and carers, Excedrin is stepping in to offer support and advice. For more on the ways in which gamers are levelling up their performance, delve into eSports Nutrition.

Excedrin and Twitch collaboration, US

Stat: US daters seek commitment over promiscuity

Match branding by Collins, US

As the country moves through the inter-Covid period, more than half Americans are prioritising the hunt for long-term relationships.

Research by Kinsey Institute, in partnership with lifestyle magazines Cosmopolitan and Esquire, reveals that 52% of single people in the US are looking for their next relationship to be committed.

Focusing on relationships and sexual activity across the nation, Kinsey Institute also found that 64% of respondents are less interested in having more than one partner at a time, and 44% consider commitment more important than before the pandemic. In turn, 37% want to wait longer before having sex with someone new.

While these findings suggest that more people will opt for settled relationships in future – perhaps to counteract loneliness – almost half (46%) of respondents said that they’re engaging in more sexual experimentation than before the pandemic.

Elsewhere, almost a fifth (19%) say they are more inclined to pursue an open relationship in the future, pointing to a notion of Uncoupled Living in which people look for varied and multiple courtships.