​In Brazil, 11 million people who menstruate don’t have access to basic hygiene items and end up using toilet paper, newspaper and even bread crumbs while menstruating. Basic facilities such as decent toilets in schools and communities also lack. It could be a lie, but that is menstrual poverty. There are millions of people in unhealthy conditions who need the help of society to access simple sanitary pads. And this basic right that is guaranteed by Unicef was denied, as the bill in Brazil that helped needy people was vetoed. As the intellectual leader of the category, it was the role of Sempre Livre and Carefree to focus on this conversation through a new campaign and try to reverse this scenario. Our objective was to propose reflection on a basic right of people who menstruate in relation to their fluids, bringing Sempre Livre and Carefree as supporters of this cause. 

    
In Brazil, 25% of people who menstruate suffer from menstrual poverty, that is more than 11 million people. And the matter gets even more serious, when this basic right guaranteed by UNICEF was vetoed in our country - a law that provided sanitary pads for low-income people who menstruate. How to ensure that the people who need it most knew about this right? What's more, how can we raise the level of social attention that this problem deserves so that society as a whole could turn its eyes to it? Through the language of communities, rap. It echoed our message providing reflections on this lack of basic resources for the dignity of people who menstruate. And it was with rapper Bivolt, who has also experienced menstrual poverty, that we gave voice and strength to all those people who menstruate and live in menstrual poverty.            

Music has always been a transforming agent in society, especially rap, for its contesting attitude. Therefore, we rely on it to elucidate the facts around menstrual dignity.

“I don't want you to feel sorry, I just want more dignity

I take the scene, I speak, in the face of data I don't shut up.

The flow is intense and complicated and it is not a thing in the past

Access health talk, I'm waiting for this progress

Blood flows nothing is done, no matter your dialect

Know that you have rights”

We went further and took this message to places where it usually doesn't get to, to communities that suffer the most.

With Unicef, we implemented a project that included donations, menstrual education classes and training for girls. We also created CineSangue, taking music into schools. In addition, we have given visibility to all those who menstruate, including trans men.

1// Raise the agenda - we launched a survey that opens up this reality on the same day that the government vetoed a bill that distributed sanitary pads to needy people, which shocked everyone and made them think.

2// Reflection and Amplification - It was through music that we saw a way to generate high impact on everyone. Thus, we launched the clip with the rapper Bivolt, which circulated on social networks. We also explored music as an asset, as the lyrics themselves were strong enough to convey our message, so we placed spots on Spotify to reach more people.

3// Debate - And to ensure that this campaign reached all those impacted by menstrual poverty, together with UNICEF, we took the clip into schools in underserved communities to be debated, including other educational initiatives and donations.            

Results: 

-We lead the category in matters relevant to people:

Between 2018 and 2021, Sempre Livre built differentiation with 7 pts in Brand Power, while the competitor grew by only 1 pt. And with a lower investment, we also jumped to the top of mind leadership in the category, growing by 5% while the current market lost 3%.

-The song broke barriers and a reflection came with a beat:

11 million people live in menstrual poverty, we impacted over 10x that number: 135 million total impressions, 26 million on Youtube and 9 million on Spotify.

We only had 7% dispersion on Spotify, a very low number for the platform.

15.2M watched the clip and we achieved a complete view rate of 56% (vs 43% of our average).

-Our act went from reflection to transformation.

After five months, the government passed the law that guarantees access to sanitary pads for needy people.

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