Pantone and Intimina Introduce ‘Period’ Red to Dispel Stigmas Around Menstruation
PANTONE’S NEW PARTNERSHIP: To try to do away with stigmas about menstruation, the Pantone Color Institute has partnered with Intimina to release a custom red color called “Period.”
Intimina, a Swedish brand with a range of intimate well-being products, rolled out a new “Seen+Heard” campaign that is meant to make people more comfortable about discussing menstruation. The new hue is described as an original shade of red that represents a steady flow during menstruation.
The introduction of the custom color and its direct name are meant to dispel any taboos around this normal bodily function. Both parties are trying to change dated attitudes toward menstruation. Globally, school administrators, teachers, government and local officials have been broaching the subject more publicly in recent years to help make students more at ease about discussing the subject and to try to improve attendance for students, who often stay home when menstruating.
Intimina’s global brand manager Danela Zagreb said that menstruation has historically been treated as something that shouldn’t be seen or talked about publicly, despite the fact that billions of people experience it. She said, “Enough is enough, it’s 2020. Isn’t it time periods stop being considered as a private affair or a negative experience…Isn’t it time we come together to encourage period positivity and make sure periods are seen and heard.”
The Pantone Color Institute’s vice president Laurie Pressman described the color as “an active and adventurous red hue, courageous Period emboldens people, who menstruate to feel proud of who they are…to urge everyone regardless of gender to feel comfortable to talk spontaneously and openly about this pure and natural bodily function.”
As part of the Seen+Heard campaign, Intimina has donated $2,348 to ActionAid, a global charity that works with impoverished women and girls.
In Zambia and other locations, health classes and government partnerships with nonprofits that focus on menstrual health have reportedly helped to improve school attendance for girls. In the U.S., some middle school teachers have helped to further the menstrual equity movement, which aims to make sure that anyone who menstruates has access to safe, environmentally friendly products while simultaneously trying to do away with the shame associated with menstruation. In South Africa, the department of social development in the Western Cape launched the Sanitary Dignity Project last week.
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