A period campaign actively provoking anger

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.