Menstruation in Stayfree ADs - a Content Analysis

Menstruation and menstrual experiences plays a crucial role in women’s life. More than just a monthly process, it is a significant event that marks a girls identity into womanhood reinforcing feminine experience. However, Menstruation has often been stigmatized, and marginalized reinforcing taboos. Given the deep-rooted societal stigmas and challenges surrounding menstruation, women during this time needs proper menstrual management. Menstruation and menstrual hygiene and taboos was outlined through different mediums. Ads, in this means plays an important role. Indian television remains a key medium for menstrual product advertisements, with Stayfree being one of the most popular brands. These ads influence perceptions, challenging misogyny and raising awareness about menstruation. The present study, primarily qualitative in nature, adopted Content analysis to analyze the pattern of presentation of menstrual contents in Stayfree Ads and whether these representations reinforce or challenges social perceptions regarding menstruation. The findings revealed key themes of Social taboos and contentment. Stayfree Ads frequently depicts fear, shame, embarrassment, female fragility, concealment, together titled as social taboos and contentment in their Ads. The brand’s strategies had reinforced traditional anxieties and societal perceptions indirectly as a strategy to promote their product while on the other hand the brand attempts to break the taboos utilizing emotional appeals, concluding brands dual role in presenting menstruation content to promote the product