Who ever thought that the word vagina could such cause outrage in a modern forward thinking liberal society. Thinx didn’t, as they launched an advertising campaign using the simple words period and vagina, they were astonished and outraged when their advertisements were banned.
Not to be beaten and determined to get their message across they developed and created a branding and communication solution that was focused on challenging the social prejudice and stigma surrounding periods and the female body.
Establishing a blog called blog called Periodical gave the brand a platform to directly address the bias associated with female menstruation. The blog features five categories which aim to improve women’s health and wellbeing concerning their monthly cycle by providing information and further
Figure 1 Periodical blog by Thinx. Source: https://www.shethinx.com/pages/periodical
The use of eggs as a visual metaphor enabled Thinx to symbolise that all women are different and, as a consequence, require different care routines to suit their individual needs. Thinx have incorporated this approach into a series of advertisements shown within New York subway stations. The buzz created has raised awareness of the company which celebrates women instead of ‘shaming them’. The adverts were initially considered inappropriate by MTA and Outfront Media, the subway ads which featured images of women in underwear, a halved grapefruit and dripping egg yolks were ultimately approved over a year ago after Thinx used press outlets to protest against this overt form of censorship.
The company uses branding not only to sell and promote their products but to inform women about their bodies and educate the next generation through Thinx’s Global Girls Club. The club provides young women with a 6-month curriculum which teaches women about their bodies, self-defence, menstrual products, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. The club will launch in India, Nepal and different parts of Africa to start but hopes to go global. This innovative idea further promotes Thinx’s branding through the humanitarian drive to educate young women and directly challenge the societal stigma they encounter.
Figure 2 Example of New York subway advertising. source: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/03/07/its-not-copy-its-just-conversation-ceo-thinx-miki-agrawal-brands-clever-subway
The brand pulls its success from empowering women and creating a prejudice-free community, and this has been achieved through the marketing and branding stated above. Thinx thought around the original problem to create a solution. By thinking boldly and challenging a deeply ingrained prejudice, the brand was able to adapt and grow. This was achieved through powerful visual representation and the core value of empowering women through education.
Figure 3 source: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOYicNOB0zL/?hl=en&taken-by=shethinx
I believe that Thinx’s approach to marketing was imaginative and distinguished. Though they faced criticism, they overcame this through the power of protest, smart use of visual marketing and numerous media outlets and prevailed against ad regulators.
Thinx have now turned the problem into the solution and have integrated feminist ideologies into their branding and marketing to create many positive campaigns. Thinx have built a loyal fan base using effective advertising, smart branding and safe community space; reducing the stigma.
Professional and academic development journal. 