Sweden – A new ad by the feminine hygiene company is encouraging women and girls to feel more confident about their vulvas.
The company, known as Bodyform in the UK, has already tackled the taboo of periods. Now, for its line of personal hygiene products, it’s turned its attention to the stigma surrounding the vulva, citing that over half of women think theirs is imperfect. In response, Libresse has launched Viva la Vulva, a campaign film featuring a objects that resemble vulvas, such as oysters, grapefruits and fortune cookies, as well as women inspecting their own genitals.
Set against the song 'Take Yo Praise' by Camille Yarbrough, with lyrics such as ‘you make me glad I’m a woman’, Libresse hopes to alleviate women’s insecurity about the appearance of their vulva. According to a recent BBC News article, girls as young as nine are requesting labiaplasty, a surgery to reshape the lips of the vagina.
Brands that wish to challenge the taboo around feminine hygiene should not focus solely on menstruation, but address the vagina itself.