Way back when, periods were taboo — hardly talked about and kept under wraps — especially in the media. Heck, it was all done so strangely that it took decades for companies to stop using blue liquid instead of actual blood to depict a menstrual cycle.
Let's take a look back at where period ads began and be thankful we never have to go back there.
1920: The first noted period ad was by Kotex. It made sure you knew the pads could be easily concealed.
"There is nothing on the blue KOTEX package except the name," the ad reads. "The package is compact enough to go in a shopping bag."
1930: Then, Tampax was focused on making sure you knew its products were safe because they were designed by a physician.
"So very comfortable it is worn without any consciousness whatsoever…" the ad oh-so-convincingly said.
1940: Ads took a turn by actually questioning your identity.
"Ever get mad at the world… at the unfairness of your lot? Ever hear a voice inside you whisper 'Better not go out…you won't have any fun?" the ad reads.
Of course, to "be yourself" during your time of the month you need Kotex pads.
1950: Buying a pad was the equivalent to buying your confidence.
I guess in the '50s pads helped you stand like Superwoman.
1960: Single girls were specifically called out in advertisements.
Note how the girl's face is completely hidden. Shame was still associated with periods.
1968: Now it's the man who's truly suffering from the menstrual cycle.
Try not to cringe: "I feel sorry for any woman who suffers from menstrual pain. But I also feel sorry for her husband," the ad for Femicin, a menstrual cycle drug, read. "Cramps, headaches, and body aches used to make my wife so depressed, so irritable that I suffered through those bad days each month, too."
1969: Genital deodorant was seen as necessary so you don't make this face.
In the late '60s, your vagina was talked about as "worry-making" and a "problem," especially during your cycle. Luckily, this deodorant made you "an attractive, nice-to-be-with girl."
1970: Fun only existed because of tampons.
Powerful stuff, huh?
1978: And a few years later, they helped you be even more active.
This girl's day was saved because of Stayfree. *phew*
1984: In the '80s, companies were finally being a *little* more descriptive with their products instead of just claiming that it worked wonders.
There was still the notion, though, that a tampon cures everything and makes you completely forget that you have your period.
1990: Tampax tackled the bizarre rumor that using tampons would mean you weren't a virgin.
"In fact, you can use them at any age and still be a virgin," the first-person ad reads. Yay?
1997: By the mid-90s, companies blessed women with thinner pads.
2010: By the 2000s, companies caught on to the taboo surrounding menstrual cycles.
Period companies started selling empowerment.
2010: They even mocked what they've been doing for years, such as using blue liquid to indicate period blood.
Bodyform released a video response to a customer's note that the company was providing women with a false sense of what actually happens during their periods.
2015: Period ads became much more straightforward (and way more artsy!).
Products have evolved, too. Now we have options like Thinx, underwear meant for your period.
2017: For the first time ever, a company used an actual red substance instead of some fake blue liquid to represent period blood in a commercial.
Bodyform used the hashtag #bloodnormal to finally destigmatize periods.
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