The ad (which is currently airing on TV in Denmark and Finland with plans to run it in the UK in the New Year) was created in response to a worrying trend of women believing that their vulvas are imperfect and increasing numbers of women and girls requesting labiaplasty, surgery that reshapes the lips of the vagina.

While once rarely discussed, women are slowly becoming more open on the subject of their vulvas and the insecurities that they may cause. There have been a number of art shows featuring sculptures of the female anatomy and commentators are also opening up about their own relationships with their lady parts.

In a recent article in the Guardian, for example, Liv Little – founder of gal.dem magazine and one of CR’s Creative Leaders 50 for 2018 – wrote of how she had previously felt ashamed of her vulva and the affect this had on her relationships.

So the new Libresse ad (the brand goes under Bodyform in the UK) is timely. And thankfully, rather than being a po-faced examination of the subject, it’s brilliantly funny, featuring dancing vulva-shaped objects aplenty.

This humour is necessary, as while the issues that have prompted the spot are undoubtedly serious, the lighthearted approach helps minimise squeamishness about the subject. Set to Fatboy’s Slim’s track Praise You, the spot features dancing fruits, purses, and knitted vulvas singing along to the music and generally expressing joy at their existence.

And, unlike the Blood Normal spot, which while it gained worthy praise for finally featuring red rather than blue liquid to represent menstrual blood, still showed the usual array of young, slim and pretty actors, Viva La Vulva features a wide range of body types, ages and ethnicities and doesn’t even shy away from featuring stretchmarks. This stuff really matters, so well done to Libresse and indeed, viva la vulva!

Credits:
Agency: AMV BBDO
Creatives: Caio Giannella, Diego de Oliveira
Director: Kim Gehrig
Production company: Somesuch