Menstruation Demon Fabulously Fights Period Poverty This Christmas
Social-impact agency Public Inc.and Great Guns director Eva Midgley have teamed up with non-profit PERIOD. to #DeckTheStalls with a holiday campaign fighting period poverty.
Crampus - a.k.a. Mother Bitchmas, Coochie Claus, or Santy Panty - takes centre stage, a fabulous hell demon complete with bedazzled horns and a red satin power suit. While devouring tampon cookies and making it rain maxi pads, she delivers hard truths with sass in a menstruation monologue raising awareness for those without access to proper sanitary care.
A wild and raw script communicates the campaign’s serious message couched in humour. Director Eva complements its written elements with physical comedy, leveraging it as a tool for keeping the viewer engaged and preventing the campaign from becoming preachy. In the lead up to the most important lines, the voiceover runs across shots of heightened physical comedy with unpredictable pacing to keep the audience on their toes, as a mercurial Crampus jolts between soft and loud, petty and outraged, vain and serious.
This volatile role is played by actress Rachel Sellan, who worked closely with Eva to flesh out Crampus’ backstory: she’s been around as long as Santa, and used to be his assistant and lover, before he dropped her for a younger model who could give him children. The pair then drew from these ‘memories’ during the shoot to ramp up the anger and conflict with Santa without the need for a second actor present. An intensely physical process, Rachel carried out her manic striding, dancing, and even high kicks on a ladder all while donning 6 inch hooves.
With a brief calling on the fusion of Prada and Krampus to exude unapologetically fierce power, these qualities are palpable in Crampus’ wardrobe and accessories. In lieu of thrashing chains, Crampus dons a fashionable body harness inspired by Alexander McQueen, while a bespoke ovary necklace from costume designer Marie-Eve Tremblay serves as a symbol of feminine empowerment. The hoof, along with the horns, was one of the most intricate elements, moulded around a heelless platform boot with the addition of fur, for an animalistic touch. The horns, meanwhile, are completely covered by over 4500 rhinestones, manually applied, by Marie-Eve, one by one.
From period-themed cookies to tampon baubles, production designer Flora Yin created props to provide the finishing touch crowning the campaign’s visual humour - much like the shimmering vulva that tops Crampus’ Christmas tree.
Director Eva Midgley comments, “I howled with laughter when I first read the script. Not because of the content obviously, but the way it was written - Crampus was described as being on her period 365 days a year, with a day off on a leap year. What a brilliant creative from Erin Stevens and Heather Apple at Public Inc. Our amazing producer Marc Milliard and I have collaborated in the past and he can pull rabbits out of a hat, and DOP Vinit Borrison did an amazing job too, as always. Our Crampus, Rachel, was incredible, she really related to the character and cause and she worked incredibly hard.”
The campaign will run through to the end of the year, with all proceeds going to PERIOD. Join the conversation by following Public Inc. (@publicinc) and PERIOD. (@periodmovement) online, and by donating at DeckTheStalls.org.
