Job description
The best billboard ads have to grab attention on a busy high street, and this campaign has certainly done that. Commuters at Madrid's Atocha train station found themselves presented with wash bags that look as yonic as the architecture in Metroid Prime 4.
Created for Vagisil, the campaign puts an intimate spin on the social media 'what's in my bag?' trend in an attempt to present women's intimate care creams as something that should be as commonplace as lipstick and other skincare products.
The What's in my Vag? campaign was created by Publicis Spain. It says it started out from what it saw as a contradiction: "skincare has become a daily ritual. Body care has evolved into an entire category. But when it comes to intimate care, the conversation is still surprisingly quiet."
The logic behind the timing is that during the summer months, vaginal discomfort can increase by up to 50% due to heat, sweat, humidity and exposure to sand and chlorine in swimming pools.
If you're not chronically on TikTok or Instagram, the what's in my bag? trend may have passed you by, but it basically involves people revealing to camera the essentials they've packed for the day – often makeup, skincare products and things like snacks and chargers.
"Everything makes the cut – except intimate care products. Is it simply habit, or does embarrassment still play a bigger role than we'd like to admit?" Publicis wondered. And it realised that bags themselves have the perfect form to get people asking the same question.
Vagisil Vagisil Vagisil VagisilThe campaign appeared across social media and DOOH at Atocha Train Station, Moncloa Bus Station and shopping centres as people were leaving Madrid for the summer holiday season.
Each asset presents a wash bag carefully art-directed to evoke the shape of a vulva, with a Vagisil product inside. I have a feeling that's probably not how the products are supposed to be applied, but the ads have made an impact by using a recognisable trend to break down taboos.
