Gen Z the target in period underwear campaign

A new campaign by period underwear brand Modibodi aims to position the company as a fashion and lifestyle brand.

Modibodi, the period underwear company, has launched a marketing campaign as it seeks to reposition as an aspirational lifestyle brand rather than a menstrual health company.

The brand, which claims to have pioneered period underwear in Australia, wants to break away from the menstrual category and position as a fashionable underwear brand that also offers period protection.

To help create this image, Modibodi worked with Fabric agency to develop a brand campaign encouraging women not to fear their periods as they go about their lives. The Fear Not campaign showcases the brand’s lingerie, swimwear and activewear ranges on women in a range of situations that could induce anxiety for women during their periods.

Modibodi chief executive officer Kerry Cusack said the campaign was led by research and insights from existing customers and those who had never purchased period underwear. “The research told us that one in two girls still skip sports because of their period, while one in five sit out of sports because they are scared of leaks. This fear of leaks is one of the things that comes up most frequently,” Ms Cusack said.

“While historically we focused on disrupting the category, breaking taboos and changing the way people think and talk about periods. We were really keen to take stock and see how we could connect to people in a really relevant way.”

Modibodi will target women aged 25 and under as this audience has strong awareness of the category and is motivated to use sustainable products rather than disposable products.

“We’re focusing on the youngest segment of the market and we believe there is an opportunity for us to become more relevant to this sub 25-year-old consumer,” Ms Cusack said.

Ms Cusack is drawing from her previous experiences in retail, having worked for Alquemie Group and Retail Apparel Group, to drive the repositioning which she said was more than a marketing strategy.

“It’s more of a business strategy as it touches all areas of the business. It touches distribution, packaging, social media and of course the product itself. It’s really important for us to show up in retail, in the bricks and mortar experience where customers have the opportunity to touch and feel the product and see the beautiful merino wool, or lace and see the product is super thin and not like a nappy at all.”

The campaign aims to generate greater awareness of the brand’s product lines and partnerships with brands such as sports apparel giant Puma and French fashion brand Smiley.

The move comes as the period underwear market continues to grow with new entrants including retail brands such as H&M, Uniqlo and Marks & Spencer alongside underwear brands such as Bonds and period care brands such as Libra.

Ms Cusack said her company was not concerned by the competition. “Modibodi has essentially driven the category growth as the leader in the market and we want to maintain that leadership position and that’s why we’ve made this shift from a strategic perspective,” she said.

“A lot of brands have added period underwear to their existing business, whereas, this is what we do. We live and breathe it every day. We’ve got really great brand awareness in the market and we are the specialists. But, ultimately it’s the customer that decides at the end of the day.”