Marketing and Comms
Holiday Demon ‘Crampus’ Takes Bold Stand Against Period Poverty

Award-winning social-impact agency Public Inc. has created a new campaign that aims to bring awareness to the reality of period poverty in the US and Canada. This campaign will drive donations to the nonprofit PERIOD. — a global nonprofit organization committed to ending period poverty and stigma — this holiday season.

Period poverty is often associated with developing countries, where a combination of cultural taboos and a lack of access to information and period products still limits the lives of menstruating people in areas such as India and sub-Saharan Africa. But it remains an issue across North America, as well — affecting all menstruators but especially those who are low-income, homeless, in college, imprisoned or transgender; according to the Journal of Global Health Reports, two-thirds of the 16.9 million low-income women in the US alone could not afford menstrual products in 2022, with half needing to choose between menstrual products and food.

“The solvable crisis of period poverty affects 36 percent of people with periods in Canada and the US. This campaign shows that we can all be a part of the solution — making period products accessible in public places,” said Michela Bedard, Executive Director of PERIOD. “In order for everyone to fully engage in work and school, we need to ensure that where toilet paper is freely supplied, so are period products.’”

In the cheeky campaign, Crampus is presented as a holiday hell demon on a mission to bring a merry menstruation to all. By collecting donations from viewers and companies alike, Crampus has a plan to raise money to #DeckTheStalls with free menstrual products this holiday season — and beyond — to make sure that all people with periods can menstruate without worry or fear.

According to proprietary research conducted in December of 2023 by Public Inc. in partnership with YouGov, nearly 1 in 3 females who menstruate (31 percent) in Canada and the US say they or their family have struggled to afford menstrual products, the weighted average for both countries. When including all people who menstruate, that number jumps an additional 5 percentage points. In fact, 50 percent of people with periods polled agree that the rising cost of period products (e.g., pads, tampons, menstrual cups, period underwear, etc) has made them change their purchase habits for other products.

“Period products are often taxed by local jurisdictions, making these essential items even more expensive for people who need them. When Public Inc. brought us the idea of Crampus spreading the word about period poverty, we couldn’t say no,” Bedard added.

Public Inc. is known for creating an annual purpose-driven campaign in lieu of giving traditional holiday gifts. Past campaigns including It’s F*cking Water and #EFF2020 have raised awareness and donations in support of access to clean drinking water for Indigenous Peoples and mental health support, respectively. With #DeckTheStalls, the purpose-driven agency is banking on high quotients of snark and rage to drive donations to PERIOD.org as well as educate the general public about the realities of period poverty. When people who menstruate can’t access menstrual products, they miss school, work and important moments in their lives — as well as putting their physical and mental health at risk — and that should be a concern for us all.

“This time of year, we often think about holiday get-togethers with friends and family,” said Public Chief Creative Officer Jill Applebaum. “But if almost 1 in 2 (47 percent) people who menstruate are feeling stressed about their ability to afford period products given the economic climate, they’re not having the same holiday as everyone else. I can’t imagine anyone having to decide that they can’t go to school, to work, or celebrate the holidays because they can’t afford menstrual products — and nobody should. That’s why we brought Crampus to life — we needed a holiday hero who's here to #DeckTheStalls with menstrual products for all!”

The campaign will run in the US and Canada across various video platforms — including donated digital placements, social media, out-of-home, and even wild postings. Local PERIOD. chapters and volunteers will also be taking to the streets to #DeckTheStalls in cities across the continent, to help ensure people have access to the menstrual products they need.

Companies already donating period products include Aisle, Cora, Joni, The Period Company and Saalt.

The campaign will run through the end of the year, with all proceeds going to PERIOD. Join the conversation by following Public Inc. and PERIOD. online, and by donating at DeckTheStalls.org.