Contesting multiple interrogations related to the honest and real nature of its content throughout the production process, Sky Zero Footprint Fund 2022 winner, WUKA, today launches £250k advertising campaign for sustainable periods following six month journey with advertising review body, Clearcast.
Pioneering reusable period wear brand, WUKA, today launches its first ever TV advertising campaign following a six-month creative review process with Clearcast, the advertising review body responsible for clearing TV adverts of potential misleading, harmful or offensive content.
The taboo-busting ad by WUKA encourages women to ditch plastic-riddled disposable pads and tampons in favour of its sustainable period wear.
The advert shows an honest depiction of real period stories in an effort to normalise conversations around menstruation. WUKA funded the campaign using the £250,000 media value earned from winning the Sky Zero Footprint Fund in 2022.
Following a robust back-and-forth with reviewing agency, Clearcast, which challenged a number of elements of the campaign content, WUKA is proud to confirm that no cuts were made to the original ad, which will run for one month, until the end of May 2023, airing across Sky Media’s Linear TV and VOD platforms.
One of the main disputes of the advert was around WUKA’s decision to include a shot of a blood clot in a shower. Despite half the population experiencing a variety of period flows each month, this scene was deemed too sensitive by the agency and threatened to derail the entire creative.
WUKA stood firm, grounded in the belief that scenes of this nature, as part of the menstruating population’s everyday reality, shouldn’t be censored from TV. Indeed, inclusion of this type of content marks a tangible step towards education around periods in the UK and period equality.
Ruby Raut, CEO and Co-Founder of WUKA, says, “I am a female founder, an immigrant and a self-funded businesswoman, who is disrupting the dominance of billion-dollar disposable period product giants. I have learned I have to punch way above my weight to make an impact, and the Sky Footprint TV commercial presented us with the perfect opportunity to speak up.
“In this ad – a first for WUKA – we didn’t want to hold back. We have been surprised by the challenges we faced in getting approvals, which is clear evidence that there is still a long way to go in normalising periods, smashing taboos and depicting period realities. A focus group also revealed real discomfort for some viewers, which again, shows how much work still needs to be done to make period realities part of our everyday conversations.
“Our creative was inspired by real life stories from customers. Since launching WUKA, over half a million women have ditched pads and tampons in favour of a more sustainable period product and over the years, many of them have shared their period stories (and frustrations) with us. I continue to receive personal emails weekly, thanking us for changing their lives with WUKA. This ad is for them; to feel seen and heard and, most importantly, to bring periods out of the shadows and into the mainstream, normalising them and helping others speak more openly about this entirely natural biological process.
“We are so proud of the final ad, of its no holds barred and taboo-busting approach to periods. We are open to all reactions, as our goal is to encourage more frank discussions about menstrual health. A more realistic depiction of what periods are and how they impact our lives is well overdue and we hope that with this ad, we are setting a new standard in the industry, normalising the menstrual narrative, and making tangible progress for women’s rights and period equality.
“I set up WUKA just four years ago with only £7,000 raised through crowdfunding. To win the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, have access to the significant budget that that prize entails, and know that a global brand like Sky values what we stand for, our efforts and our mission, has been both thrilling and heartening.
“Reaching more people with our message that the switch to reusable period pants positively impacts the planet and that there is nothing more natural than a period makes us hopeful that, together, we can make a difference to our lives and to that of future generations.”
On the topic of blood clots, WUKA Period Health Expert and Senior Consultant ObGyn, Dr Nitu Bajekal, says, “Doctors agree that a woman’s perception of her period is often more important than a medical diagnosis.
“The reality is that many women have heavy periods, including blood clots, which can affect quality of life and daily activities. They are even more common post-partum, where you can pass clots of various sizes.
“Having these depictions of ‘hidden’ women’s health on national TV is a huge step towards normalising these issues, hopefully leading to important conversations that can literally change lives.”
Alongside its commitment to presenting an accurate and honest depiction of periods, WUKA upheld its environmental ethos during filming of the ad, thanks to a low carbon shoot, integrating sustainable decisions and practices throughout the production process. Steps taken included renting an Airbnb property for the shoot (instead of building a bespoke set); using electric vehicles and public transport for all travel; adopting a zero plastic set; and offsetting all carbon resulting from the shoot and production process.
Some of the insights that informed WUKA’s campaign and creative execution are as follows:
- Around 700,000 panty liners, 2.5 million tampons and 1.4 million sanitary towels are flushed down the toilet every day, with 1.5‐2 billion menstrual items are flushed down Britain’s toilets every year.
- One conventional sanitary pad takes around 500 years to break down but as well as contributing to plastic pollution, a year’s worth of a typical disposable menstrual product also impacts on climate, with a carbon footprint equivalent of 5.3kg CO2.
- A report by Plan International UK reveals that:
i. Over a third (34%) of girls that miss school due to periods worry about leaking.
ii. More than one in four (28%) young women aged 14 to 21 are struggling to afford period products.
For more information visit wuka.co.uk.
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Note to editors:
- WUKA Co-Founder, Ruby Raut is available for interview
- Please contact the WUKA team should you be interested in receiving product samples for review or for competition prizes
For further press information, please contact:
Rebecca Claxton | Anna Nyman | Elsa Findlay | Julie Aguilera Kemp
Rooster.
T: +44 (0)203 440 8930
E: [email protected]
About WUKA
Founded in 2017 by husband and wife team, Ruby Raut and Dave Slocombe, WUKA is the UK’s leading period wear brand and was the first in the UK to produce fully leak-proof reusable period underwear that completely replaces the need for pads and tampons. Just one pair of WUKA period pants can save 200 single-use plastic-riddled disposables from going to landfill or polluting our oceans.
WUKA stands for Wake Up Kick Ass; because nothing should hold women back when on their period. The brand strives to empower the menstruating population, improve access to quality, sustainable period products, eliminate period poverty, and remove period shame and stigma.
Offering a range of award-winning undies to suit different menstrual flows, WUKA period pants hold from two to six tampons worth of period blood; the highest absorbency of any other period products. They are also available in the most extensive range of sizes on the market – from XXS, right up to 6XL.
WUKA also offers period leggings, period sports shorts, period swim bikini briefs, and a number of period accessories and gifts, including a wearable hot water bottle, wash bags, period wellness sets, and starter kits for tweens and teens.
All WUKA products are mindfully created, using the highest quality planet-friendly fabrics, to be both great for the body and good for the environment. From the Better Cotton Initiative, Organic Certified, to Vegan, PETA approved and certified Carbon Neutral+, WUKA underwear is all accredited and designed with the future in mind. Equality, inclusivity, and social & environmental responsibility are at the heart of everything WUKA does.
WUKA is an award winning business and in 2022 received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, as well as the Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year Award, for co-founder Ruby, at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
WUKA is an official supporter of Wales Women, the Welsh National Rugby team, Watford F.C. Women’s team and the London Titans Wheelchair Basketball.
WUKA is available in Morrisons, Superdrug, Planet Organic, Urban Outfitters, and a range of independent zero waste and fashion retailers. You can also purchase WUKA products directly on from www.wuka.co.uk.
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