Sky Media has today (21 April) unveiled a new taboo-busting advert for period-proof underwear brand WUKA – one of the five winners of the Sky Zero Footprint Fund initiative.

Promoting the brand’s pioneering plastic-free period pants, the campaign was funded with the £250,000 secured from the Sky Zero Footprint Fund.

Centred around a hero 30-second spot, the campaign marks a major step for the brand as its first foray into broadcast advertising.

“For decades, growing up in Nepal, I used my mum’s old sari rags, was stigmatised for having a period, and was banished from my home whenever I was bleeding. I grew up with first-hand experience of what it’s like to live in period poverty and surrounded by the shame associated with menstruation,” WUKA CEO and co-founder, Ruby Raut said.

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“When I came to the UK, I was overwhelmed with choices, yet there was a distinct lack of sustainable period product options, or even easy-to-use solutions, offering the comfort and convenience that women and girls deserve to help them feel confident whilst bleeding. WUKA came about from a desire to create a product that both empowers the menstruating population and helps the planet.

She continued: “As a self-funded scale-up, the Sky Zero Footprint Fund win has provided a really exciting and first-time opportunity for us to showcase our brand and product, but, more importantly, highlight the benefits of a switch to more sustainable period solutions, whilst also smashing taboos around menstruation. We’re hoping our first ever TV commercial will go a long way to making a difference to the lives of women, future generations and to helping reduce period related plastic waste.”

The film will run across Sky linear TV and video-on-demand until 21 May, and was produced on a low-carbon shoot with an environmentally-friendly product at its heart.