Complaints about most offensive ad of the year dismissed

Libra's #bloodnormal campaign may be the most complained about ad of the year, but Ad Standards have stood behind the controversial ad.

The ad shows women dealing with their periods in a more realistic way than most ads for sanitary products; one woman asks her friends for a pad at a dinner party, another has blood run down her leg in the shower, and a third removes a used pad from her underwear.

The campaign even uses red liquid when demonstrating the pads' absorbency, instead of the blue liquid typical used in similar ads.

Praised by many women for being more realistic and believable than other ads, Libra faced major backlash over the campaign, with viewers branding it "offensive", "degrading", and "explicit".

People were so offended by the ad that it quickly became the most complained about ad of the year, raking in more than 600 complaints since its release.

According to the Ad Standards website people specifically reported the ad for "sexualisation of children" and "degrading women," with many of them taking issue with the realistic depictions of periods, especially in younger women.

"Showing girls bleeding is wrong at any time of the day," one wrote.

"Way too descriptive, visual and disturbing for a sacred process," claimed another, who called the ad 'vulgar.'

Another added: "As a civilised person, I feel like I want to throw up as I don't want to see menstrual blood… I am sickened and disgusted."

One even claimed that the ad would "appeal to paedophiles" because it depicted teen girls experiencing their periods, however Libra clarified that all women in the campaign were over 18 at the time of filming.

"It is also extremely offensive and inappropriate to show young teenage girls, between the ages of 12 to 16, getting their period, with blood dripping down their leg and of them peeling off a period stained pad from their underwear," the complaint said.

"It appeals to paedophiles to see young girls in this manner and is exposing to young females and extremely dangerous for young girls."

Others claimed the ad was inappropriate for children and teens – though the average girl begins menstruating at the age of 12 – and objected to the ad being shown during prime time television programs.

However, Ad Standards has dismissed these complaints, concluding that the Libra ad does not breach any of the ASA Advertising Codes of Practice.

The ad was designed to encourage more open discussion of periods and reduce the stigma around menstruation, a stigma which was proven in many of the complaints the ad went on to receive.

Libra's own research showed that 3 in 4 Australian women feel there is a stigma attached to periods and wanted to directly address that in their campaign.

"The [campaign] is encouraging women, men, boys and girls (with guidance from their parents) to imagine a world where women and girls don't have to hide anymore," the company told Mumbrella.

"Where there is no shame attached to changing your pad in a toilet, asking for a pad at a dinner party or carrying your pad without hiding it."