Tampon For Men
Vuokkoset
TBWA\Helsinki
The Challenge
93% of transgender men report experiencing gender dysphoria–psychological distress from a mismatched gender identity assigned at birth–related to their menstrual cycles.
While tampons themselves aren’t gendered, there is a general assumption about who uses them, reflected in the bathrooms where they appear and the tone and appearance of their packaging and marketing. However, it’s not just women who menstruate. Trans men and non-binary people can also experience menstruation.
Tampon for Men is a response to this distress. It maintains the same functionality as regular tampons but differentiates through its message and packaging by avoiding feminized imagery, making it more inclusive and in line with trans men identities.
The Solution
Finnish hygiene brand Vuokkoset has launched a tampon specifically designed for transgender men, aimed at relieving distress and better matching their gender identity.
The Tampon for Men maintains the same functionality as regular tampons but differentiates through its message and packaging by avoiding feminized imagery, making it more inclusive and in line with trans men identities.
Watch the Case Study
The Results
The first batch of the product (2000 units) sold out in one week. By the time of this submission, Tampon for Men had been covered by media in 89 countries and counting—achieving an outstanding 1 billion media reach with 0€ in media investment. With more than 14 million social interactions, the work reached a level of engagement never before achieved by any brand in the category in Finland. The new product also received support from cis-women, becoming a symbol of solidarity for the entire trans community worldwide. To amplify its impact, the proceeds were donated to gender diversity NGOs. The cultural impact was significant, reaching unprecedented success for an initiative supporting the trans community.
