In April 2022, the retailer Boots changed the name of one of its aisles.

What was once called ‘feminine hygiene’ is now ‘period care’. This was a rare instance of a founder-led brand changing the language used by one of the largest retailers in the UK.

Kudos to Boots for listening (and crediting Here We Flo with their decision).

Now, before we chalk this up to semantics, consider this.

Of all the bodily messes we humans deal with on a daily basis – from blowing our noses to wiping our bums and having sex – periods are the only ones described so explicitly in relation to sanitation and hygiene.

Euphemisms like ‘feminine hygiene’ imply that periods are unhygienic, something dirty to be ashamed of. Even the NHS talks about ‘sanitary products’, which frankly brings to mind heavy-duty equipment for dealing with raw sewage. But nope, they’re on about a tampon.

In an effort to break the taboo and stigma, Here We Flo has made puns the core pillar of its brand language. In fact, I’d argue that language is their entire brand differentiator.

Humour, as any stand-up comedian will tell you, allows us to discuss taboo topics. ‘Bloody brilliant periods’ and ‘We’ve got your back (and your front!)’ make light of the subject and help people talk openly about periods without shame.

Seriously, I challenge you not to laugh when watching their No More Period Dramas TV commercial. Just put your mug of tea down first.

I particularly love the use of emojis in their brand language. So far, I’ve found a cheeky ?, a ☁️ to describe the feeling of their eco-applicator tampons, and ? when talking about the amount of menstrual flow their period pants absorb.

Beyond a lighthearted tone, there’s also a more serious educational campaign. Their blog is essentially a manual on how to use gender-neutral, body-positive language when talking about periods, covering everything from LQBTQIA+ to the difference between sex and gender.

Now, I’m going to pause on that note. This is an article of two halves.

I’ve spoken about the importance of words. But what Here We Flo is doing for language, Daye is doing for product.

Daye has combined two existing categories – period care and CBD (cannabinoid, sourced from hemp) – to launch a totally new proposition: a pain-relieving tampon that can help 90% of women who suffer cramps.

In recent years, the law has relaxed around CBD, so there’s a lot of internet confusion over whether it’s legal, safe – and what on earth it has to do with periods.

Their FAQ covers a billion implications you’ve never considered – like how old you have to be to use CBD tampons, whether you can safely drive a car and even whether you’ll get flagged on routine drug tests.

In case you think they’re a one-trick pony, no. They’ve also designed a tampon to detect STIs and HPV, another to treat vaginal infections like candida, and ProViotics that contain nothing but good bacteria to improve the vaginal microbiome.

It’s genuinely exciting to see what they’ll launch next.

The downside? All this explaining has undoubtedly influenced their tone of voice (or, should I say, lack of voice). If their brand voice were a person, they’d be wearing a white lab coat and carrying a clipboard.

It’s worth noting Daye raised $5.5m in Seed funding and $11m in Series A. The left-brain thinking involved in pitching to investors and introducing a new category can take the creativity out of a brand’s voice.

That said, I love both of these brands for different reasons – they each tackle a separate challenge. Product and language.

From a product perspective, the industry has been at a standstill with almost no innovation beyond minor tweaks since Tampax patented the first tampon in 1933. Yeah, ‘wings’ and new scents, but that’s about it.

And the stigma around monthly cycles hasn’t changed much either. It wasn’t until 2017 that a brand showed red period blood in an advert. Before that, they borrowed the blue liquid you see in the baby nappy ads.

Yet in just a few years, Here We Flo and Daye have come from opposite directions and totally changed the benchmark.

Few startups have the brand voice to get a national retailer to change their terminology. And, while every brand under the sun talks about innovation, Daye just gets on and does it.

Hats off to both of them.