anacurbelol

The Tampon Book
Client: Scholz & Friends, 2019

Awards:

CHANGED THE LAW

CANNES LIONS 2019
GRAND PRIX WINNER, 2 SILVER, 2 BRONZE, 8 SHORTLIST

CLIO AWARDS 2019
5 GOLD, 3 SILVER

LIA AWARDS 2019
1 GOLD, 2 SILVER, 1 BRONZE, 1 FINALIST

EPICA AWARDS 2019
GRAND PRIX WINNER, 3 GOLD, 1 SILVER

I was commissioned by Scholz & Friends as illustrator of The Tampon Book, a campaign for The Female Company which aims to end the ridiculous 19% luxury tax on tampons by outsmarting the law - selling tampons hidden inside a book. The campaign is based in Germany but has gone internationally viral. The campaign sparked public debate which resulted in Germany changing its female sanitary products tax law.

Apart from being an inventive political statement, it’s a charming little book with stories and information about the subject, filled with uncompromising illustrations that are strong, confident characters, unashamed of periods.

“With these figures I want to free people from the taboo subject of periods, but I also want people to relate to the characters and make them feel okay with themselves.
My characters are not only proud, confident women, unashamed of periods, but they are also posed in our relaxed natural state - an unfiltered, genuine look, as opposed to the stereotypical 'Instagram look’. Hairy legs, hairy armpits, spots, floppy bellies, floppy boobs, cellulite, exposed labia. It was important to me to show all shapes and forms.“

- Full interview with Digital Arts Magazine

“We do this to protest against the unfair and sexist taxation on tampons, sanitary pads and other feminine hygiene products. In Germany, these are still considered “luxury goods” and therefore taxed with the top value added tax rate of 19 percent. Meanwhile, actual luxury products such as caviar, truffles or oil paintings are considered daily necessities and earn the reduced rate of only 7 percent. Is this crazy? Yes indeed! Luckily, we’ve found a loophole. Books are also taxed with 7 percent.That’s why our tampons now come as a book, or rather inside a book.”

- The Female Company