Why This Canadian Undergarment Brand Sponsored Athletes to Talk about Their Periods
Despite the fact that it’s a normal bodily routine, there’s still a lot of taboo around the subject of women and AFAB people having their periods. It’s something they often avoid talking about, and in many cases, ignorant social reactions unfortunately end up justifying that decision.
However, this only gets worse in a sector like women’s sports. While, unsurprisingly, research by CAN Fund found that 99% of surveyed athletes had competed during their period while in international competitions, over 64% felt uncomfortable talking about it with their coaches, and 75% feared leaking during competition… despite the fact that, again, it’s a perfectly normal thing that really shouldn’t have to be hidden away.
So, to try and change the status quo, Canadian undergarment brand Knix and creative agency Rethink have been pushing back against public perceptions and encouraging this demographic to enjoy the sports they love, regardless of the time of the month. Recently, this came in the form of the brand expanding its ‘Sport Your Period’ campaign by collaborating with US superstar Megan Rapinoe, who explains in a hero spot that while she’s had to discuss her wins, losses and goals in interviews, never once has she mentioned the topic of competing on her period.
And, to further push back against stigmatising periods in sports, the brand decided to literally put its money where its mouth is and offered to pay athletes if they’d discuss their period publicly, even if they didn’t mention the brand. After all, to make sweeping cultural changes, one has to get the ball rolling first, and initiating a discussion is usually a good way to get that started.
To learn more about the movement, and just what it took to bring this campaign to life, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Rethink copywriter Andrée-Anne Hallé for a chat.
LBB> This work represents the second phase of the ‘Sport Your Period’ campaign. As such, what was the brief, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
Andrée-Anne> This year's Olympics were the first ever with full gender parity of athletes. There have never been this many female athletes competing in the history of the games, meaning the world was about to see a historical number of menstruating athletes performing. But no one was talking about it. So, Knix wanted to seize this momentum to normalise periods in sports, by incentivising world-class athletes to talk about it. That's why we came up with the idea of breaking the taboo by paying athletes who open up publicly about competing on their period.
LBB> Notably, the data behind this campaign is super interesting, including the fact that one in two teens skip sports to hide their period. As such, what was the research process like? What did you learn, and what were the biggest takeaways?
Andrée-Anne> Knix commissioned the organisation CAN Fund in June 2024 to survey 300 athletes about their periods and athletic careers. The survey revealed that athletes frequently compete at an international level during their periods (99% have competed on the world’s stage during their period, actually), yet the majority of them are afraid of leaking while competing, and many still feel uncomfortable discussing their periods with their coaches. These results were eye-opening, and highlighted the need for a brand like Knix to spark an open conversation about these issues. If world-class athletes who are the best in their sports feel this way about their period, imagine how teens starting their period journey feel in the locker room before gym class.
LBB> From here, how did these takeaways factor into the ideation process? And specifically, what made the idea of encouraging professional female athletes to talk about their periods right for the job?
Andrée-Anne> We know that most Olympians struggle financially. We know that most of them are also anxious about competing on their period. Even if our budget for this campaign was limited, rewarding them for taking a stand against the taboo and speaking up about their period was a very important aspect of the idea for us, and the least we could do.
Since the whole world watches them compete and listens to their every word, athletes are the best people on this planet to have a real impact on the normalisation of periods in sports.
LBB> One of the biggest aspects of this campaign is the inclusion of Megan Rapinoe. How did you get her involved? And why was she the right spokesperson for the work?
Andrée-Anne> Megan Rapinoe was our first choice for the initiative's second phase, and she eagerly embraced the mission to change the narrative around periods in sports. As an inspiring athlete who sets the bar for advocacy and inclusion in sports, she exemplifies the heart of this initiative and has already driven change both on and off the field. Her passion for challenging norms made her the perfect partner for our campaign.
LBB> The narration she delivers is awesome! What was the script writing process like? How did you strike the balance between informative/charismatic?
Andrée-Anne> Thank you! We worked really hard on finding the right balance between explaining the initiative and speaking from the heart. And all in a way that aligned with Megan Rapinoe's personality and delivery. We wrote many versions of the script and watched hours of Megan's interviews to get to this result.
LBB> And what was the actual filming process like? How long did it take, and do you have any anecdotes from on set and working with Megan?
Andrée-Anne> Our production day was pretty tight considering everything we needed to shoot. Each second mattered and had to be optimised to ensure we had time to shoot every line for each location. Good thing that Megan Rapinoe was simply great and super charismatic – she nailed most of her lines in one take. A champion on the field and on set!
LBB> As a whole, what challenges came with this project, and how did you overcome them?
Andrée-Anne> A big challenge for this campaign was creating a concept that went beyond just making a statement, and drove real change. Engaging with athletes who resonate with these experiences was key, and our goal was to encourage them to use their influence and voices in a meaningful way. So, we prioritised developing an opportunity for athletes to engage with the campaign beyond just promotional activities, and provided athletes with a tangible way to help break down period stigmas.
LBB> Since launch, how have people responded to this campaign?
Andrée-Anne> Since launch, we’ve seen dozens of athletes participate in the campaign, sharing their stories about competing while on their periods on major TV networks. It's been rewarding to see the strong social media response, with athletes, women, and fans who are resonating with the campaign’s message and showing their support underscoring the need for discussion on this topic.
LBB> Finally, has this campaign made you rethink the normalisation of periods in sports?
Andrée-Anne> Absolutely! Seeing the impact of period taboos has highlighted the urgent need to address these stigmas in the sports world and beyond. It shows that breaking barriers is about both raising awareness and taking action to create a supportive, empowering environment.
