The Sounds of Strength In Persil’s Powerful Arsenal Collaboration

The Persil x Arsenal ‘Every Stain Should Be Part of the Game’ campaign sets out to expose the double standard of stains in sports, working to contrast what is considered ‘bravery’ in the context of injuries, with the label of ‘shame’ that surrounds period stains.

The collaboration with Arsenal W.F.C. tackles the stigma that leaves six out of every ten girls fearing participating in sports during their monthly periods. The concept provided quite the canvas for Jungle Studios’ senior sound designer, Chris Turner, to work his magic on the hero film, ensuring its messaging hit home.

When Chris first learned about the campaign’s framework, inspiration was quick to strike. “My first impression was that it was visually striking and unapologetic – it was refreshing to see women portrayed in the same fearless, dedicated, and sweaty way that men are more typically shown,” says Chris.

“I instantly knew that the sense of empowerment the film produced needed to be enhanced by equally strong sound design. My approach was to capture the intensity and raw emotion, without distracting the viewer.” It was all about adding to the emotional layers, allowing time for reflection on the core message.

He also understood from the outset that the audio needed to match the fearlessness of the visuals. “The aim was to create an emotional journey,” he tells me. “I wanted the start to feel fast-paced and immersive, reflecting the intensity and chaos that comes with pushing our physical boundaries. From there, the sound had to pull back and allow for a moment of reflection upon the question.”

With the audio surrounding the statistic, Chris wanted it to “mirror the isolation and discomfort I assume many young girls feel about their periods and sports.” He explains that following this, the sound towards the end needed to shift to something more energising and uplifting, “symbolising the breaking of taboo and more confidence moving forward.”

“The biggest challenge,” says Chris, “wasn’t the sensitive subject matter, but rather, ensuring the sound worked to elevate the film to the right emotional weight.” Chris designed the opening sounds to “overpower the viewer from the start,” grabbing attention as stadium floodlight blares and the roar of effort from athletes is brought to the forefront. “It lets the audience feel the full exertion of the women giving their absolute all,” Chris explains. Then comes the deliberate drop to near silence, “descending into an almost eerie void, allowing the space to process and reflect on the significance of the campaign’s message.”

In practice, all of this means the sound evolves in distinct phases. At first, the audio comes out strong and hard-hitting, matching the rapid montage of athletes in action. Then, as the film introduces the sobering statistic and poses its central question, ‘What about blood?’, the soundscape intentionally quiets down. Chris wanted to allow for an almost hushed moment for viewers to process the significance of what they’ve seen. Finally, when the spot’s message of breaking stigma emerges, the sound ramps up with an empowering lift, communicating a sense of optimism, and even triumph.

In these moments, restraint in the mix was just as important as intensity. Throughout, Chris was careful to ensure the sound design complemented the messaging, treating it with sensitivity without ever overshadowing it.

By consciously modulating the intensity, the sound design guides the audience through feelings of adrenaline, introspection, and inspiration in sync with the narrative.

“In this film, I worked with many sound genres to subtly change the tone throughout, without the sound needing to be subtle. Many sounds are layered, each for their subconscious emotional effect,” explains Chris.

Despite the complexity of the task, Chris found the tight deadline for the project actually fuelled his creative tank. The campaign was on a fast-track schedule, and this sense of urgency pushed him to trust his intuition. “I allowed myself to respond instinctively, without overthinking it, and at times, not syncing sounds to specific actions,” says Chris. “I trusted my gut reaction and focused on delivering the emotional impact needed in each moment.”


Sound design in advertising is rarely a solo endeavour, and on this campaign, Chris worked closely with the agency and production team to achieve the end result. Fortunately, they were already well acquainted. “I once again had the pleasure of working with the awesome team at MullenLowe UK… They were confident, articulate, and trusted me completely. I love working with them; it feels like we share a strong creative understanding,” Chris tells me.

Attempting to measure the success of such nuanced work is often quite intangible, but Chris uses audience reactions as his ultimate gauge. “How well has the sound served the emotional arc?” is the question Chris asks himself. “If viewers feel moved, I consider that a success. And judging by the hundreds of thousands of positive comments on social media, it has more than delivered.”

In an industry often allergic to risk, Chris is keen to commend Unilever and Persil “for being brave enough to support such forward-thinking work.” He adds, “The creatives at MullenLowe crafted such a bold, important message. It was an honour helping bring this story to life. Trust me, there are creatives punching cushions because their client repeatedly said no to this kind of bravery.”