The Pantone Color Institute has released a custom Pantone red colour emblematic of a period!

It may be the 21st century but attitudes towards menstruation are stuck in the past, with periods seen in some quarters as mysterious, shameful and taboo – something that should be hidden away and not discussed, or even made the butt of jokes.

Today, as part of a new campaign by INTIMINA to make menstruation more visible and normalise this most normal of bodily functions, the intimate well-being brand has teamed up with The Pantone Color Institute to create Period: an original shade of red that represents a steady flow during menstruation.

The colour Period is an energising and dynamic red shade that encourages period positivity and serves as the banner for INTIMINA’s ‘Seen+Heard’ campaign. The Swedish based intimate well-being brand’s global campaign is designed to empower everyone, regardless of gender, to feel comfortable to talk freely and proudly about periods, to start conversations and encourage a more sympathetic and accurate depiction of menstruation in culture.

Danela Žagar Intimina Global Brand Manager: “Despite the fact that billions of people experience menstruation, it has historically been treated as something that shouldn’t be seen or talked about publicly. And if we look at popular culture, depictions of periods have ranged from wildly inaccurate and unsympathetic to being the subject of jokes and derision. 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 call out people that try to perpetuate the stigma surrounding periods? Or those that mock it? Isn’t it time we come together to encourage period positivity and make sure periods are seen and heard?

That’s what we aim to do with our campaign and it’s been brilliant to have The Pantone Color Institute lend their support as we launch it by creating an original red colour emblematic of a steady flow during menstruation. Pantone’s ‘Period’ red shade represents exactly what our Seen+Heard campaign is about: making periods visible, encouraging positive conversations and normalising menstruation in our culture, our society and in our everyday lives.”

Laurie Pressman, Vice-President, Pantone Color Institute from Pantone comments:

“We were very honoured to partner with Intimina on the creation of Period, a confident red shade symbolic of the empowering message expressed in their new Seen + Heard campaign. An active and adventurous red hue, courageous Period emboldens people who menstruate to feel proud of who they are. To own their period with self-assurance; to stand up and passionately celebrate the exciting and powerful life force they are born with; 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 £2,000 to ActionAid, an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty. This donation will go to support the full range of ActionAid’s work, which includes the fight against period poverty and reducing the stigma around menstruation.

Jillian Popkins (Director of Policy, Advocacy and Programmes) from ActionAid UK says:

“This is a fantastic campaign and a badly needed one. Around the world today, millions of women and girls still suffer due to the stigma associated with periods. Many girls miss vital days of school, or even drop out altogether, which is one reason so many women experience life-long poverty globally. Without the stigma around periods, more women could escape poverty, fulfil their potential and strengthen their communities. This important campaign will help change that.”