Campaign
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Breaking Menstrual Taboos with Deepfake Technology

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Campaign Overview

Leading up to International Women’s Day 2024, Artslab Creatives partnered with Fems Sri Lanka to launch the groundbreaking 'Forward and Fearless' campaign, Sri Lanka’s first-ever content personalization initiative using AI Deepfake technology. This campaign addressed the critical issue of period poverty. Unlike the conventional use of deepfake technology, which has long been criticized for its misuse in misinformation and unethical content creation, this initiative employed its potential for positive social impact. Participants could create customized campaign videos featuring their own image and language preference, fostering a deep personal connection to the cause. By allowing individuals to see themselves as ambassadors for menstrual health awareness, the campaign empowered them to become advocates in their own communities. The campaign not only challenged menstrual taboos but also redefined digital engagement by using a technology, one that has long been perceived negatively, for a social cause.

The Challenge

Period poverty remains a significant issue in Sri Lanka, where cultural stigmas and misinformation hinder open conversations about menstruation. Despite increased digital engagement, societal barriers perpetuate shame, leaving many women and girls without proper menstrual health solutions. While digital engagement has grown, these barriers continue to silence conversations around menstrual health. Recognizing this, Fems, a leading sanitary napkin brand, sought to break this silence and position itself as a purpose-driven leader in menstrual health advocacy. The campaign aimed to:

  • Breaking Menstrual Taboos: Cultural silence in Sri Lanka makes open discussions rare. The campaign needed to resonate with younger audiences and encourage participation.
  • Driving Engagement: Traditional CSR efforts often lack active participation. The goal was to turn audiences into advocates.
  • AI for Social Impact: Deepfake technology had never been used for CSR in Sri Lanka, requiring a seamless and safe user experience.
  • Tangible Impact: Beyond awareness, the campaign aimed to provide sanitary products to schoolgirls and elevate Fems’ advocacy role.

The Artslab Solution

Artslab Creatives executed an innovative, technology-driven campaign centered on personalized user experiences:

  1. AI-Powered Personalization
    • Using DeepFake technology with CUDA-enabled NVIDIA virtual GPUs and AWS/Google Cloud services, participants generated personalized videos by uploading their photo.
  2. Inclusive Storytelling
    • The campaign involved men and women, breaking taboos and fostering open conversations about menstrual health.
  3. Multilingual and Global Reach
    • Content in English, Sinhala, and Tamil broadened engagement beyond Sri Lanka.
  4. Social Engagement Strategy
    • Launched on International Women’s Day 2024, the campaign used high-production video assets, influencer collaborations, and video retargeting on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
  5. Influencer Collaborations
    • Influencers drove engagement, resulting in over 6,000 hours of watch time.

Watch the campaign video here

Results

The campaign exceeded expectations, driving high engagement, tangible community impact, and significant brand growth while setting a new standard for AI-driven CSR initiatives.

  • High Engagement
    • The campaign received 1.8M+ impressions, 400K+ engagements, and 7,000+ personalized video shares, surpassing targets.
  • Community Impact
    • 1,550+ schoolgirls received sanitary napkins, driving engagement with the HER Foundation.
  • Fems' Brand Growth
    • 25% rise in positive sentiment, strengthening Fems' leadership in menstrual health advocacy.
    • 6,000+ influencer watch hours, expanding reach.
  • Technology Innovation
    • Set a new AI-driven CSR benchmark with deepfake technology.
    • Multilingual content ensured broad engagement.

'The Forward and Fearless' campaign helped demonstrate how DeepFake technology, often mired in controversy and negative public perception, can be a force for good if used in the right way. By blending cutting-edge technology, inclusive storytelling, and participatory design methods, the campaign broke taboos, advanced menstrual health equity, and positioned Fems as a leader in digital-first CSR initiatives. This campaign stands as a testament to the power of creativity and technology to inspire action and create lasting impact.