Despite the fact that half the population of the world are women, there’s still some major taboos around menstruation.
From the London marathon runner who free-bled through the miles of road ahead of her, to the artist who had her images representing menstruation removed from Instagram, the conversation around women’s health has been undeniably censored. Period.
So when underwear brand THINX – pants designed to be hygenic, moisture-wicking and leak-resistant, taking care of any spills from your tampon or menstrual cup – wanted to promote their brands to female commuters, they felt advertising on the subway was a natural step for them.
Rather than the regular boring adverts with a woman hunched over with PMS and cramps, the team’s creatives got together to create a series of arty interpretations of a woman’s flow.
However, their bold new approach wasn’t appreciated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
According to THINX, the MTA said the “suggestive” symbolism with eggs and fruit, text referencing menstrual fluid, and the showing of skin might not comply with the subway system’s “tightened guidelines.”
Following a social media backlash, MTA agreed that although they had reminded the brand of their guidelines, they hadn’t confirmed they wouldn’t run the ads.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan, a spokesperson for THINX said:
“They’re kind of backpedaling because there’s so much social pressure to run these ads.”
The ads have now been approved to run in subway stations from mid-November.
