‘Period Paper’ campaign turns period poverty into Loeries-winning idea

The “Period Paper” campaign, created by advertising agency Joe Public for Independent Media, has won a Grand Prix at the 2026 Loerie Awards for its confronting portrayal of period poverty.

Joe Public won the Grand Prix in Print – Tactical Use of Print. The campaign also received Craft Gold in Print Crafts – Art Direction.

The awards were held at Cape Town City Hall during Loeries Creative Week. The Loeries supports the brand communications industry across Africa and the Middle East.

How the Period Paper campaign exposed period poverty

The campaign used hyper-realistic menstrual blood stains on major newspapers to highlight period poverty.

On June 1, readers of the Cape Times, The Star and The Mercury opened their newspapers to find red stains resembling period blood splashed across the front page and seeping through the pages beneath, as though the newspaper itself had been used as a sanitary pad.

Created by Joe Public in collaboration with The MENstruation Foundation, the campaign highlighted how millions of girls rely on unsafe alternatives when they cannot afford sanitary products.

Joe Public creative director Alison Hingle described the initiative as an important collaboration between the agency, Independent Media and The MENstruation Foundation.

“This was an incredible project and experience and very rewarding, but still a lot of work needs to be done. The print campaign went viral and the response we had globally has been overwhelming. It appeared in 21 different countries. A number of international publications reported on the campaign.

“The campaign caught everyone’s imagination around the world. It lifted the profile of the MENstruation Foundation. The aim is to get more free period products to more girls that need them,” said Hingle.

For Hingle, the campaign demonstrated what can happen when creative thinking meets a cause that demands attention.

Independent Media’s role in the campaign

National Media Group head of trade marketing and events Lutfia Vayej said the campaign formed part of the company’s ongoing Media for Social Change programme.

“We used our print and digital platforms to highlight and raise awareness of critical social issues, including racism, unemployment, youth development, crime, gender-based violence and, in this instance, period poverty.

“What made this campaign particularly significant and powerful was its use of the very products that so many girls and women are forced to rely on as substitutes for proper menstrual hygiene products. By using our newspapers to convey the message, the campaign brought the reality of period poverty into sharp focus in a way that was both confronting and thought-provoking,” said Vayej.

She added that the campaign was aptly summed up in its message: “A newspaper can absorb the blood, but not the shame.”

National Media Group chief executive officer Melanie Peters congratulated Joe Public on winning a Loerie.

“The Period Poverty campaign, was a partnership with the MENstruation Foundation, and the newspapers ‘The Star’, ‘The Mercury’ and ‘Cape Times’. Many readers left deeply uncomfortable as red stains resembling period blood were splashed across the front page and seeping through the pages beneath, as though the newspaper itself had been used as a sanitary pad.

“It even went viral online, with international media such as ‘CNN’ picking it up. But for some of the four million South African schoolgirls, that’s exactly what it has been. The message was stark and unforgettable: a newspaper can absorb the blood, but not the shame. Purpose-driven journalism and media-led social activism can drive change by building awareness through strategic partnerships,” said Peters.

Why the campaign won the Grand Prix

Loeries chief executive officer Preetesh Sewraj said the campaign stood out because it tackled a deeply stigmatised issue with an idea that was both creatively daring and socially meaningful.

The Grand Prix was selected by a panel of creative experts from around Africa. The key experts who led the discussion were Nkgabiseng Motau, founder and key creative officer of Think Creative Africa in South Africa, and Maxwell Ngari, chief creative officer of Dentsu Kenya.

“With this particular piece it was ensuring there was a social tension, which is understanding the way in which a paper is being used with young menstruating girls who do not have access to sanitary pads. This is a real problem and challenge, but also one of those that carries a lot of stigma. It doesn’t get spoken about because the stigma is so real,” said Sewraj.

Sewraj said Joe Public brought the creative idea, while Independent Media recognised how its newspapers were being used in this reality and turned that uncomfortable truth into a national conversation.

“This campaign was designed to remove the stigma associated with it and to be able to develop more responsible consumer habits to be able to support young women to ensure that newspapers are not being used in lieu of sanitary pads.

“This is a taboo topic and Independent Media chose to not just have an advert but chose to create the edition of the newspaper in a manner in which it appeared to have been used for menstrual use. They took a commercially brave move with sound creativity that truly impacts,” said Sewraj.