Periods remain one of Australia’s most persistent taboos, and the consequences are measurable. New research commissioned by Hey Zomi revealed the scale of the menstrual load, with more than 10,000 pairs of underwear thrown out in five years due to leaks, 93 per cent of menstruators admitted to leaking on their underwear, 78 per cent on bedsheets, and 60 per cent worry about leakage often or always. Over 54 per cent have leaked in public, most commonly at school or work.
It is a physical, emotional and financial burden that almost everyone shares, yet rarely speaks about.
With menstrual discs still a largely unfamiliar category in Australia, Hey Zomi’s national launch into Woolworths presented a cultural moment, and an opportunity to name the load, normalise it, and show that there is a real solution.
To bring that message into public consciousness, Hey Zomi partnered with Greenpoint to create ‘The Menstrual Load’—a bold, multi-channel campaign that made the invisible visible.
The campaign began with a series of social experiments staged across some of Sydney’s most iconic locations in partnership with creator and Hey Zomi advocate Rhylee Passfield. The activation simulated a visible period leak in public spaces, capturing unfiltered reactions. Some women approached quietly to check in, and a group of men laughed or took photos.
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The contrast illuminated what the research had revealed: the menstrual load is not just physical, it’s also social.
Hey Zomi’s first out-of-home rollout, in partnership with Media Words, features hero billboards and street posters across Sydney carrying bold messaging grounded in research: 92 per cent of people leak, the rest use Hey Zomi, placing the lived experience of menstruation in full view.
The campaign moved through social and PR, supported by an amplification engagement with Abbie Chatfield, who spoke to the social experiment and the empathy gap it revealed. Coverage from news.com.au and Instagram and TikTok virality extended the conversation well beyond the brand’s channels.
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At the centre of the campaign is the proposition that menstrual discs offer an alternative to the cycle of stress, cost and waste. Hey Zomi’s disc, the first Australian-designed and owned, can be worn for up to 12 hours and replaces years of disposables.
Hey Zomi co-founder Zoe Fehlberg said the findings reflect what menstruators already know.
“Periods have been misunderstood, undertaught and taboo for too long. Almost everyone has leaked at some point, yet it’s still treated like a personal failure,” she said.
“These numbers prove it’s not rare, it’s universal. Our goal is to lighten the menstrual load, even a little. We already carry enough in our everyday lives without worrying about leaking in public.”
Greenpoint’s creative and strategic approach centred on shifting menstrual discs from niche to mainstream by building cultural urgency, social proof and retailer confidence. The campaign supports Hey Zomi’s national rollout into Woolworths by driving brand search, educating the category, and strengthening consumer curiosity at the shelf.
The Menstrual Load reframes period care not as a private inconvenience, but as a shared cultural experience ready for change.
Credits:
Campaign Creative, PR, Social and Influencer: Greenpoint
Gorilla Marketing Stunt: Hey Zomi, in partnership with Greenpoint
Out of Home: Media Words, in partnership with Greenpoint
