KEY TAKE OUTS

Create a movement not a marketing moment. Essity is a challenger brand in the truest sense. As Nicola Coronado, Marketing Director, UK & ROI at Essity explains, the movement’s aim is to travel “away from this one-dimensional view of women, not just periods, of our experiences to really bring to life and validate the multiple experiences people go through.” This allowed #wombstories to become a phenomenon and to resonate with consumers on a deeper level.

The power of partnership. The ability to produce such culture-shifting work is born out of the strength of the creative brand agency partnership at its heart. “The partnership is built on a mutual understanding of trust and debate,” explains Nadja Lossgott, ECD at AMV BBDO. It’s this deep-rooted trust that creates space for informed and empathetic debate between, Lossgott says, “a special group of people who believe in creativity to drive business change.”

Acknowledging the intersectionality of women’s lived experience. Margaux Revol, Strategy Director at AMV BBDO believes that too often the experiences of women are dismissed because they are too complex to box in. Instead of ignoring that complexity because it’s too difficult to acknowledge, Revol wants to see both institutional and marketing change: “if you accept that experience is intersectional and can’t fit on a spreadsheet, you are probably starting to get to something better.”

The work continues. Lossgott tells the story of when the team first launched the Blood Normal work, explaining that many people thought the door was kicked in and that was that work done. But, as she explains, the work has to continue: “It’s like Russian Dolls that keep unpacking; once you open one there’s so many things that need unpacking. There are so many things out there that need to be heard and need to change.”

Make space for complex storytelling. Nicholas Hulley, ECD at AMV BBDO, emphasises that while the complexity of experience was key to convey, at the heart of the #wombstories campaign is that, as he explains, “even though we’ve embraced the complexity, we have sought the universal,” adding that the work is “capturing the bittersweet roller coaster of life.”

Be brave and think long term. Every member of the team emphasises the importance of bravery when it comes to creating culture-shifting work. But it’s bravery rooted in a depth of insight that allows the brand to stay true to its values and purpose. As Lossgott explains: “the smartest thing we can do is stay true to the creativity and the values of the brand and do the most creative thing within that rather than get swept aside by a COVID specific message that might not stand the test of time.”

To read a full write up, visit the dedicated BITE page, Lessons from Wombstories