Bodyform’s ‘Blood’ commercial is the first to tackle the physical manifestation of having a period. Vials of blue liquid and grinning, rollerblading models have been replaced with blood from powerful sportswomen. Does this advert represent real women’s attitudes to menstruation?

The majority of feminine hygiene products aren’t exciting, but with the corporations responsible for making them barely changing over a century, do women have much choice? Period panty start-up Thinx says yes, offering a friendlier, cheaper and cooler way to sail through that time of the month.

Janelle Monae’s ‘PYNK’ evokes the human body’s most intimate parts, and she isn’t coy about the song’s central image – the video sees her sporting what fans and the media have dubbed ‘vagina pants’. Why is vaginal imagery making a comeback among modern feminists?

While nearly half of women say they prefer to buy from companies that challenge gender stereotypes, branded feminism in the form of pink-washed products and #girlpower hashtags is often seen as insensitive and unimpressive. So, how can marketers empower women in an authentic way?