Libra Australia's new ad campaign showing blood on television leaves viewers divided

Libra Australia has just gone where no advert has ever gone before ... and viewers have a lot of feelings about it.

Launching their latest campaign, #bloodnormal, the feminine care brand is depicting the experience of periods openly and honestly in a bid to normalise periods. 

And, in an Australian first, actual blood is depicted on a pad for the first time - instead of the tradition blue liquid which is often used to demonstrate absorbency.

"Contrary to popular belief, women don't bleed blue liquid, they bleed blood," the company's tagline reads.

"Periods are normal. Showing them should be too."

But the campaign, which seeks to educate rather than shock, has caused a massive stir online, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts.

Some commenters questioned where the line would be drawn, hypothetically applying the same marketing techniques to other personal hygiene products, like toilet paper and condoms.

While others were more supportive of Libra's message.

"Periods are such a normal and healthy part of life but aren’t discussed in public discourse and they aren’t shown in pop culture," Caitlin Patterson, executive general manager of Libra parent company Asaleo, said.

"We believe that like any other taboo, the more people see it, the more normal the subject becomes."

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Australian research shows period stigma is still impacting women.

Indigenous girls in rural and remote Australia report missing school because they couldn't afford or didn't have access to sanitary products, while Libra research found 67 per cent of teenage girls would rather fail a subject at school than have their class know they were menstruating.

That same Libra research found eight in 10 women believed there is still a stigma attached to periods (more so than drugs, sex, STDs and mental health), while almost a quarter of women aged 18-24 are embarrassed to purchase pads or tampons.

"For Libra, as the only Australian made brand of feminine care products, it is so important to us that we employ local creative talent and assets to help us to amplify the message to Aussie girls and women that periods are normal," Patterson continued.

As part of the campaign, for the first time in Neighbours' 34-year history, Libra has worked with the writers to integrate a period storyline into the show.