The flesh being torn from the inside of a Halloween pumpkin evokes horror in a whole new way in the hands of TBWA\MCR. It becomes a ghastly metaphor for endometriosis. And the visual display won’t be easy to forget.

The pro bono campaign was created in less than two weeks (all hail to TBWA\MCR, director, Zeynep Oguz, and Packer Productions), seizing the Halloween horror moment to create real understanding about endometriosis, and trigger funding for the work of The Menstrual Health Project.

The film’s title uses the euphemism for menstruation, That Time of the Month, ironically to ironically highlight how many endometriosis sufferers live with excruciating pain every day.

Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the womb lining spreads elsewhere in the body, affecting organs such as the bladder, lungs and spine. With diagnosis times averaging up to eight years and no cure available, early recognition is critical to prevent long-term damage, hysterectomy or other major surgery.

The film will be accompanied by a toolkit for endometriosis sufferers and aims to inspire viewers to donate a £3 treat to the donation-led charity.

​Becci Nadin, deputy creative director at TBWA\MCR, stated, “1.5 million women are living with endometriosis, yet many wait up to eight years for a diagnosis. Girls as young as nine are often misdiagnosed and wrongly prescribed the pill. That isn’t good enough. Halloween felt like the most impactful and disruptive time to raise awareness of the symptoms that can be so difficult to describe.”

​Zeynep Oguz, commented, “In a project like this every element has to stay true to the reality we are depicting. Knowing many sufferers, my aim was to make a film that they could point to and say, ‘this is how I feel, every single day.’

“When I told our DOP, David Procter, ‘I want the space to feel like you’re stepping inside the body’, he immediately understood and brought this to life using some special vintage theatre projectors. The result was beyond my imagination. It’s still hard to believe we pulled all of this together in under two weeks…but when an idea feels this right, and for such an important cause, all the pieces fall perfectly into place.”

Credits:
Client: Menstrual Health Project
Founders: Anna Cooper & Gabriella Pearson
Chair: Kate George
Marketing Specialist: Becca Donaldson

Creative Agency: TBWA\MCR
Executive Creative Directors: Lisa Nichols & Gary Fawcett
Creative Director: Becci Nadin
Creative: Rose Alder
Designer: Rob Scott
Head of Production: Lou Vasey

Production Company: Packer Productions
Director: Zeynep Oguz
Executive Producer: Richard Packer
Producer: Chris Cable
Production Manager: Sarah Shepherd
Director of Photography: David Procter

Post Production & VFX: Freefolk
Executive Producer: Laura Ricketts
Colourist: Marty McMullan
Colour Assistant: Edward Webb

Editing: Flock Edit
Editor: Zoé Desgraupes

Sound: Little Things Sound
Sound Designer: Vika Vinnikova
Sound Producer: Chris Wrigglesworth

Music: Freefolk
Composer: Matilde Koechlin
Arranger: Katie Ellwood