Karima Asaad Challenges Menstruation Taboos with Blood-Splattered Campaign for Modibodi

2D Creative is proud to unveil photographer and director Karima Asaad’s latest campaign in collaboration with Puma and Modibodi, the groundbreaking period underwear brand. The bold and daring directors’ cut, which incorporates blood splatter on the screen, highlights Karima’s visionary approach in challenging taboos surrounding menstruation while showcasing the strength and power of women during their periods. 

Karima’s career has been marked by a commitment to authenticity and empowerment, particularly in her unapologetically female-centric work. With a background in photojournalism, she brings a unique perspective to staged photography, capturing raw and thought-provoking moments that challenge societal norms.

"My aim for this campaign was for it to be real and raw, and there had to be blood spilled. Literally. Wellness is not necessarily about flowers and prettiness, it can be about bleeding from your vagina. It’s not polite but it is provocative.” explains Karima, director and photographer at 2D Creative. 

Diverging from conventional approaches, Karima pushed boundaries to create a film that deeply resonates with audiences. The campaign initially faced challenges, with the client preferring a more sanitised depiction of period underwear. Undeterred, she invested her own resources to realise her vision and researched the most effective way to capture blood on camera. Karima decided to use a straw to make a believable blood splatter effect, and merge it in post with a window breaking to create a bold and attention-grabbing opening, showing the spot to be unafraid in its ambitions and messaging. 

Karima adds, "I didn't want to create something about menstrual wear that avoided the menstrual part, further shaming women for their bodies. This is one of the most important parts of being a woman, and we turn it into something to be ashamed of?"

The resulting campaign defies convention, leveraging bold imagery and storytelling to challenge perceptions surrounding period underwear. By collaborating with a top Australian rugby league player and utilising innovative visual effects, Karima’s director’s cut for Modibodi not only promotes a brand but advocates for a cultural shift. "As creatives, we have a responsibility to push the brief’s boundaries to produce art that resonates and sticks in the brains and hearts of the consumers.” Karima affirms, “For me, there has to be an impact: like an asteroid hitting the Earth.”

Karima’s directors’ cut stands as a testament to the transformative power of art in reshaping societal narratives. Through her lens, menstruation emerges not as a taboo but as a symbol of strength and defiance.