Whisper has rolled out a new campaign as a part of its fifth edition of #KeepGirlsInSchool movement. 

Conceptualised by Leo Burnett, the film features a group of eight-year-old girls who are unaware of menstruation and end up thinking worst possible scenarios when one of them experiences unexpected bleeding. From assuming that the bleeding is God's way of punishing the girl for her lies to believing that she has been affected by some life-threatening disease, the girls start picking their minds with all sorts of thoughts, until their teacher steps in to educate them. 

What we think about it: Through this ongoing campaign, the brand has addressed a very critical issue - the natural biological change and early onset of periods among girls today, in a very profound manner. Addressing an issue which is not talked about much, the campaign has effectively taken a step forward in igniting critical conversations that need to be had around the subject. This year's film, is made more interesting through the catchy jingle 'Periods ka matlab healthy hai aap, (Periods means you are healthy),' which is not only a creative add-on but also teaches the students about the science behind menstruation in a very entertaining manner. 

Girish Kalyanaraman, vice president and category leader, India Feminine Care at Procter & Gamble, said, “There is a seismic shift happening in period biology. This heightens the need to educate girls early on and to prepare them to embrace this biological process. Through this initiative, we strive to educate them about how periods are healthy and how they can take care of themselves on their period days. Every year, Whisper goes to more than 60,000 schools to create period education programs and we are now also going to younger standards. Consumers too can do their bit buying a Whisper Ultra pack which will help us educate and donate pads to one girl to keep her in school.”

Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe – South Asia and chairperson, Leo Burnett - South Asia, said, “Our ongoing research about the changing conversations around menstruation identified a glaring anomaly - girls today are getting their periods much earlier than before. However, they are being educated about periods at a much later stage or oftentimes not at all. Whisper and Leo Burnett have been on a journey to keep girls in school for a long time and we wanted to bridge this gap. Our latest work talks to the eight-year-olds in a language they can understand, with a heartwarming song that teaches them that getting periods means they are healthy. The goal is to not just teach the little girls but also use the song as a tool to equip her ecosystem - parents and educators, enabling them to teach periods in an empowering manner.”