TENA is taking aim at the taboos and stigma surrounding the menopause with a ground-breaking campaign in the Middle East to challenge the notion that menopause marks the onset of an ‘Age of Despair’.

The campaign, created by Impact BBDO alongside AMV BBDO, challenges the fact that in Arabic, the name for the menopause is the ‘Age of Despair’, a somewhat negative phrase which 81% of Saudi women think needs to be changed.

The research reflects a growing disconnect with how brands have traditionally depicted or been squeamish about women’s lived experience of ageing. It’s a fact reflected in the statistic showing that 82% of women would prefer to use a new and more positive phrase in its place.

The music-led campaign launches with the originally composed track ‘Despair No More’, written and performed by Arabic singer songwriter Ghalia, in partnership with Anghami Studios. The single will be released on Anghami, the leading music streaming platform in MENA, in a brand-first use of its new Radio Live feature.

The music video features a diverse array of older women creating their own age-positive definitions. Notably the commitment to reflecting the true experiences of women is one which extends behind the lens with the team sourcing an all-women crew that included the cast, creative team, director, singer and all production partners.

The campaign also includes a mini content series, as well as a social media campaign across Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, which invites women to share their own suggestions of how they’d redefine the ‘Age of Despair’ more positively, using #DespairNoMore. TENA will announce the winning replacement phrase on their social media channels in the coming weeks.

The campaign marks a significant commitment to changing the narrative when it comes to the experience of older women in advertising. Sarah Berro, Associate Creative Director at Impact BBDO explains: “Words matter. They shape how we see the world and how we see ourselves. By changing the Age of Despair, we’ll end the stigma of menopause for ourselves, our mothers and our daughters.”

Stamatios Mantzaris, Global Communications Manager at TENA, adds: “TENA felt it was important to spearhead a campaign that drives greater age confidence and empowers women to break down the stigmas associated with incontinence. We’re looking forward to seeing this new campaign drive positive change in the Middle East market as part of our global TENA Women ‘I will be me’ platform”.

The campaign is another important milestone in breaking the silence and challenging the damaging stereotypes that still surround the menopause as well as a compelling reminder of the power of advertising to change the narrative.