Crampus, aka. Mother Bitchmas, Coochie Claus, or Santy Panty, has arrived this year to take the fun out of Christmas cheer. The fabulous hell demon, complete with bedazzled horns and a red satin power suit, delivers hard truths with sass in a menstruation monologue raising awareness for those without access to proper sanitary care – all while devouring tampon cookies and making it rain maxi pads.
The serious message of the campaign by social impact agency, Public Inc and Great Guns director, Eva Midgeley, for non-profit, Period, is couched in a wild and raw script sparkling with humour. Period distributes menstrual products to those in need.
Midgeley blends physical humour and a brilliant performance by actress, Rachel Sellan, with dialogue to protect the two-minute spot from becoming preachy. In the lead up to the most important lines, the voiceover runs across heightened physical comedy with unpredictable pacing to keep the audience on their toes, as the mercurial Crampus jolts between soft and loud, petty and outraged, vain and serious.
Sellan worked closely with Midgeley to flesh out Crampus’ backstory: She’s been around as long as Santa, and used to be his assistant and lover, before he dropped her for a younger model who could give him children. The pair then drew from these ‘memories’ during the shoot to ramp up the anger and conflict with Santa without the need for a second actor present.
The film’s styling aims to be magnetic to its audience. Prada and Krampus exude unapologetically fierce power in Crampus’ wardrobe and accessories. In lieu of thrashing chains, Crampus dons a fashionable body harness inspired by Alexander McQueen, with an ovary necklace from costume designer, Marie-Eve Tremblay, as a symbol of feminine empowerment. The 6-inch-high hooves, along with the horns, were one of the most intricate elements, moulded around a heelless platform boot with the addition of fur, for an animalistic touch. The horns, meanwhile, are completely covered by over 4500 rhinestones, manually applied, by Marie-Eve, one by one.
Then there are the period-themed cookies and tampon baubles by production designer, Flora Yin – props created to provide the finishing touch crowning the campaign’s visual humour – much like the shimmering vulva that tops Crampus’ Christmas tree.
Eva Midgley commented,“I howled with laughter when I first read the script. Not because of the content obviously, but the way it was written – Crampus was described as being on her period 365 days a year, with a day off on a leap year. What a brilliant creative from Erin Stevens and Heather Apple at Public Inc. Our amazing producer, Marc Milliard, and I have collaborated in the past and he can pull rabbits out of a hat, and DOP, Vinit Borrison, did an amazing job too, as always. Our Crampus, Rachel, was incredible, she really related to the character and cause and she worked incredibly hard.”
The campaign will run through to the end of the year, with all proceeds going to PERIOD.
Credits:
Agency: Public Inc.
Chief Executive Office: Phil Haid
Chief Creative Officer: Jill Applebaum
VP, Strategy: Adrienne Rand
Creative Director / Art: Erin Stevens
Creative Director / Copy: Heather Apple
Senior Art Director: Sarah Wallace Carr
Copywriter: Michael Porfirio
Director, Client Strategy: Laura Penalosa, Beth Thomson, Valerie Aguiar
Manager, Client Strategy: Rachel Klysen
Head of Production/Agency Producer: Marc Milliard
Director, Creative Impact: Paul Rivait
Manager, Creative Impact: Elizabeth Ellis
Designer & Animator: Cristina Gardeazabal
Photographer: Cole Breiland
Production Company: Public Inc.
Crampus: Rachel Sellan
Director: Eva Midgley
Line Producer: Marc Milliard
Director of Photography: Vinit Borrison
Production Designer: Flora Yin
Sound Director & Composer: Ari Posner
Editor: Noelle Webb
Costume Designer: Marie-Eve Tremblay
H&MU – Prosthetics: Erin Sweeney
Assistant Director: Trevor Lawley
Production Manager: Mark Flanjak
Production Coordinator: Ayaan Abdule
Script Supervisor: Itzel Velazquez
1st Assistant Camera: Joseph Chan
2nd Assistant Camera: Brandon Vieira, Chris Mierzwinski
DMT: Jeff Wilston
VTR: Simon Sealy
Gaffers: Todd Hamacher & Mike Consiglio
Key Grip: Rico Joyce
Color & Online: RedLabTO
Colourist: Abe Wynenu
Online Editor: Kevin Downer
Producer: Emily Skeffington
Executive Producer: Barclay Maude
Music House: Pirate Sound
Casting: Mann Casting
Sound Design & Mix Engineer: Keith Ohman
Executive Producer: Maggie Blouin Pearl
Research Partner: YouGov
Non-Profit Partners: PERIOD., Moon Time Connections, The Period Purse
Product Partners: Joni, Period Aisle, Saalt, The Period Company, Cora
Cookies: Beatriz Muller
Nails: Lexi Tran (Lex Laboratory)
