Ad Standards has dismissed over 600 complaints against Libra’s #bloodnormal TVC, ruling the ad which depicted period blood did not breach advertising’s Code of Ethics.
The #bloodnormal ad features the experience of periods, and period blood, openly and honestly in an attempt to normalise periods in mainstream culture.
However, the TVC received fierce backlash from consumers with many branding the ad “disgusting”, “offensive”, and “humiliating”.
Other complaints included: “Bodily secretions shouldn’t be shown on TV ads” and “the images portrayed in the ad are disgusting and demeaning to women.”
Others were unimpressed the ad aired on TV after 7.00pm, saying children may see the ad and proceed to ask their parents about periods.
Ads that are in “bad” taste are outside the industry’s code of ethics, and Ad Standards dismissed all complaints that said the Libra ad vilified women or humiliated them by showing them having a period.
The industry body noted the ad was part of a campaign to normalise periods while removing the stigma of shame or humiliation.
Watch the TVC in full below.
Ad Standards concluded: There is no negative language or imagery in the advertisement that implies that … women in general, should be embarrassed about menstruation or that a woman who is menstruating is a lesser person.”
