When popular brands make the call to stop the long crusade of “fixing” invisible women’s problems, it’s an encouraging sign.
Popular shaving brand Venus owned by Gillette, is the latest to re-vamp its image and messaging, launching its Venus for Pubic Hair & Skin Collection with the aim of getting women to reclaim the language of their bodies.
Results from a recent survey of 250 US women conducted by the brand found that almost half of women think it’s better to use anatomical terms like pubic, rather than “bikini” or “down there” common in marketing campaigns.
The survey also found that while 54 percent of women think that society has defined what is visually appealing when it comes to women’s pubic grooming, 56 percent wish there were more accurate descriptions and imagery in society of women grooming this area of their bodies.
This week, Venus launched a new video on Instagram that follows a day in the life of an “undesirable” pubic hair, hoping to be recognised and treated like every part of the body, with care and confidence.
With ‘The Pube Song’ and new product launch on TheVenusPubeSong.com, Venus wants to start a conversation around normalising the word ‘pubic’ in an effort to de-stigmatise female pubic grooming.
“Because pubic is not a dirty word, and your pubic hair and skin deserves its own care,” the campaign explains.
MyAnh Nghiem, Gillette Venus’ Communications Director said this campaign focuses specifically on how women think about their hair and their grooming practices.
“With over two decades of research and scientific development in women’s hair and skin under our belt, literally, we know that grooming means something different to every woman,” she said.
“Our new collection not only offers women more options for pubic grooming than we ever have before, but starts a new conversation about using language that accurately and respectfully represents the female body.”
The results from the survey on pubic language are published to coincide with the launch of new products, including items such as razors, exfoliants, shave gels and serums, specifically designed to be used around the pubic area.
Elizabeth Compo, Senior Product Research Scientist for Venus, believes women don’t regularly talk about managing their pubic hair and skin.
“84 percent of US women choose to remove at least some of their pubic hair in some way,” she explained in a statement. “However, a staggering 87 percent of them are dissatisfied with the results.”
Kristin Monaco, a Senior Product Research Engineer for Venus, added that more women are dissatisfied with caring for the pubic area than anywhere else on the body.
“In the US, 56 percent of women wish there were more accurate descriptions and imagery in society of women grooming their pubic area,” she said.
“It’s not surprising. Pubic hair is coarse and the skin is delicate, so for many women it requires a different approach to help avoid shave bumps, ingrown hairs, redness, and itchiness.”