This work is relevant for the Media category we turned the package of a new product into the brand’s strongest new media. With 0€ in media investment, it also became the spearhead of the brand’s philosophy: “Periods are not a gender issue”. Periods aren’t just an issue for women, as trans men and non-binary people may also have a womb and periods. The impact of the introduction of tampons for trans men had a huge role in contributing to the dialogue of acknowledging and accepting diversity, inclusivity, and equality for the trans community.

93% of transgender men report experiencing gender dysphoria—psychological distress from a mismatched gender identity assigned at birth—related to their menstrual cycles. Tampon for Men is a response to this distress. It has the same functionality as regular tampons, where it differs is its message and packaging avoiding feminized imagery making it more inclusive in line with trans men identity.

Finland is finally making progress in their legislation. In 2022, the Finnish government made plans to amend Finland’s trans law, which required trans people who wish to legally change their gender identity to undergo sterilization for the state to recognize their gender.

According to the 2022 Trans Health Map, while the Finnish Government is willing to pass more progressive legislation, compared to other countries like Ireland, Finland still has a long way to go in terms of providing more access to gender-affirming healthcare.

Besides the discrimination, anti-gender campaigning, and hate speech, another issue that transgender individuals face is the lack of products specifically designed for the trans community. Tampons aren't gendered, but there's a general assumption about who uses them, and you can gauge that by which bathrooms they appear in, and the tone and appearance of their packaging and marketing. But it isn't just women who menstruate: trans men and non-binary people can also do it. 93% of transgender men have experienced dysphoria in direct relation to menstruation. That's why Finnish hygiene brand Vuokkoset has launched a tampon specifically designed for transgender men, created to relieve distress and better match their gender identity.

THE IDEA: Contrasting with the typical designs of feminine artwork and pink motifs, the masculine product comes in a steel blue box with the words “FOR MEN” cleverly designed on the front of the box, while characters “STRUATION” smartly complete the design across the packaging, all in sleek block san-serif letters.

RESEARCH, DATA GATHERING AND APPROACH:

Specifically for this campaign, we brought 2 third-party consultants to help us objectively assess our goals and creative execution: DAKOTA ROBIN, Certified Human Rights Trainer, Public speaker, LGBTIQA+ consultant; and JULIAN HONKASALO, PhD, professor in Gender Studies University of Helsinki, Deputy Board member Trasek (a Finnish NGO supporting gender diversity).

The initiative was also pitched to, approved, and endorsed by PRIDE Helsinki, the biggest LGBTIQA+ organization in the country, leader in gender equality, and in charge of the yearly pride parade in Finland.

PRODUCT TARGET GROUP: Trans men and non-binary people who experience menstruation.

SECONDARY TARGET: General public and media interested in gender equality for trans individuals.

CONVENTION: Stereotypical feminized imagery and traditional views on periods and menstruation.

MEDIA STRATEGY: we turned the package of the product into the brand’s strongest new media. With 0€ in media investment, it also became the coms spearhead of the brand’s philosophy: “Periods are not a gender issue”. Vuokkoset is one of the most progressive brands in the Nordics, but it’s far away from being one of the big media spenders in Finland. By implementing a strong PR campaign focused on earned media, the press kit was sent to more than 250 journalists and influencers in 90 countries; then, the viralization of the project came organically due to the sensitivity of the topic, which is still considered taboo around the world.

Contrasting with the typical designs of feminine artwork and pink motifs, the 16-pack masculine product comes in a steel blue box with the words “FOR MEN” cleverly designed in the front of the box, while characters “STRUATION” smartly complete the design across the packaging, all in sleek block san-serif letters.

Placed in Kesko Supermarket, one of the biggest chains in Finland (which is also a client of the creative agency, which facilitated the product distribution nationwide).

Launched on November 15, 2023, to commemorate 2023's Transgender Awareness Week. Proceeds with benefit Trasek, an NGO dedicated to gender diversity and sexual health.

First batch of the product (2000 units) SOLD OUT in 1 week.

By the time of this submission, it had been covered by media in 89 countries -and counting- achieving an outstanding 1 billion media reach with 0€ in media investment, and with more than 14 million social interactions, never before achieved by any brand in the category in Finland. The new product was also supported by cis-women, becoming a symbol of solidarity for the entire trans community worldwide. To make its impact even bigger, the proceeds were donated to gender diversity NGOs. The cultural impact was huge, reaching unprecedented success for an initiative supporting the trans community. FOR MENstruation does NOT replace the tampons for women in traditional packaging. Starting in May 2024, a third product line has been included, a completely neutral tampon, so the brand will fully cover FOR WOMEN, FOR MEN, and FOR ME (gender neutral).

People find it hard to approach challenges relating to periods since it's a very personal topic and a taboo. Society changes along with attitudes, and now it’s time to acknowledge the existence of other menstruating individuals because menstrual products—from visuality, to advertising and store location—are uniquely feminine. The breakthrough thinking was to redefine and redesign the traditional visual language of menstruation products since there's a general insight that drives people into an assumption about who uses these products, and the tone and appearance of their packaging and marketing. Our strategy refrains from diminishing women's menstrual issues, instead, in a bold move, it aims to broaden the conversation to include all people who experience menstruation.