Bodyform reveals the hidden weight of heavy periods in new campaign

Essity-owned brand Bodyform is once again challenging outdated narratives around periods with the launch of a new campaign for Bodyform Ultimate, the brand’s new #1 product for heavy periods.

New research from Bodyform in the UK shows that while three-quarters (76%) of women say they experience heavy periods, nearly nine in ten (86%) live with symptoms that define a heavy flow. Despite being so common, many still struggle in silence, changing their plans, travel routes, and wardrobes because of anxiety about their periods.

These insights led Bodyform to create Bodyform Ultimate, their #1 protection for heavy flows, so that women+ can feel confident that their pad can handle their periods and no longer need to feel worried about their period products letting them down.

The campaign builds on Bodyform’s award-winning Never Just a Period and continues its mission to unveil unfiltered, deeply human stories. It spans TV, social, OOH and PR - each element designed to show how heavy periods can quietly yet profoundly disrupt women+’s lives, and how Ultimate offers the protection and reassurance needed to carry on with confidence.

At its heart is a giant blood droplet - a disruptive symbol representing the collective volume of blood lost by women+ with heavy periods in the UK every year. That’s more than two Olympic swimming pools’ worth, a reality that remains largely unseen and unacknowledged.

To spotlight the immense load many carry alone, Bodyform unveiled a bold PR activation: the giant blood droplet being carried by the World’s Strongest Woman, Rebecca Roberts. The image symbolises the burden of blood lost during a heavy flow and turns an invisible plight visible. Set against a backdrop of commuters at Liverpool St station, Rebecca’s act of strength reflects the reality that workplaces (59%) and travel (43%) are among the most stressful situations for women+ menstruating heavily.

The PR activation follows the release of a product film, which captures moments of quiet tension: a woman checking her jeans, another inspecting a stain - scenes instantly familiar to anyone who’s experienced a heavy flow. In the middle of an empty swimming pool sits the colossal blood drop. It’s not metaphor, it’s maths: 5.08 million litres lost annually by the one in three women+ in the UK who experience heavy periods. The film closes on a woman standing tall in front of the droplet - a moment of quiet power and recognition.

OOH placements show the oversized drop wedged between buildings in a busy cityscape signifying how heavy periods wedge themselves into everyday life. Meta and TikTok ads drive awareness of Bodyform’s superior solution for heavy flows and build intrigue around the collective volume of blood lost by women+ each year.

For those travelling, periods add an extra layer of stress: 44% worry about staining clothes, and 36% feel anxious about not having products to hand. To help ease this pressure, Bodyform is donating 20,000 Ultimate pads to Liverpool St station, ensuring free period protection for travellers and commuters. This forms part of its ongoing commitment to the Period Equity Alliance, through which Bodyform provides 1.2 million pads annually to people and places in the UK that need them most.

Despite affecting millions, taboos persist. Only 16% of women+ feel able to talk openly with their manager about their symptoms - nearly the same as those who’d confide in a stranger (10%). Even at home, a quarter (25%) still don’t feel comfortable discussing it with family.

Luciana de Azevedo Lara, Global Brand Communications Manager at Essity, says, “For years, we’ve challenged the stigmas and shattered the taboos surrounding women’s menstrual cycles. This campaign marks a powerful new chapter—shining a light on the physical and emotional weight carried by women who experience heavy periods. We are very proud to amplify this message through Rebecca: a mother, an athlete whose personal journey resonates deeply with the cause. Her voice reminds us that no matter how heavy the burden is, we are not alone. It’s time for a world that better understands our bodies, because it’s never just a drop.”