Building period equity one pad at a time.

Ads on Pads

Ads on Pads is a social enterprise that increases access to free and more sustainable period products by placing ads on their packaging (informally known as {p}advertising). The business was created for one reason: to give people with periods the chance to access free products, because if toilet paper is free and available in public bathrooms, why can’t period products be too? It would surely work to help the 50% of women in Aotearoa who have struggled to afford period products – an extremely sobering statistic for 2025.

Hula’s mission was simple: make Ads on Pads look so good that {p}advertisers couldn’t resist working with them and people with periods couldn’t help but take them.

Gray shape resembling a kidney bean with curly brackets on either side, labeled "Sanitary pad shaped by curly brackets."
Text reading 'The collective goal for period equity' inside a purple and yellow graphic with curved brackets.
Two hands holding a box with placeholder text 'Your Brand Here' and 'Ads on Pads' on purple and white packaging against a purple background with yellow brackets.
Infographic showing that over 50% of New Zealand women struggle to afford period products, with a photo of a woman with dark hair wearing a purple turtleneck, graphics of period products, and text highlighting the statistic.
A young woman with short black hair, glasses, and a small tattoo of an eye on her chest, smiling against a light blue background with large blue curly brackets on either side.
A young woman with long dark curly hair, wearing a white shirt with green accents, gold hoop earrings, and a gold necklace with a red heart pendant, smiling at the camera against a purple background with light blue curly brackets.
Portrait of a young woman with dark hair and hoop earrings, wearing a striped tank top, against a purple background with light green curly brackets.
A smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a necklace, set against a yellow background with purple curly brackets.

One of the things Ads on Pads is trying to do is make the topic of periods less taboo. So as a starting point, we knew the Ads on Pads brand would likely be a text-heavy one that would educate as much as advocate. We knew we needed an element of surprise that would complement (and not clash with) the {p}advertisers and stockists that Ads on Pads were working with.

Enter the brace brackets {}. Together they resembled the very thing we were championing {sanitary products} whilst also creating a space for humour, advocacy and brands to live.

A digital graphic with blue background and large text reading 'Periods Aren't a Bloody Luxury'. Below, yellow brackets surround white text stating 'A lack of access leads to missed work and learning opportunities, anxiety and discomfort'. A roll of toilet paper is shown on the right side of the image.
Bold purple text on a lavender background that says "FREE FOR ALL" with a yellow curly bracket around the smaller white text "ABOUT BLOODY TIME." in the middle.
A sanitary product dispenser on a light blue tiled wall, advertising free period product samples with humorous instructions and branding.
Three women posing against a purple background, holding promotional display cards and a box for ads on pads, with one in the center wearing a denim jacket and pink hair.
A woman with short dark hair, glasses, and tattoos on arms, flexing muscles from behind, wearing a white t-shirt with text 'Certified Period Champion' and a graphic of a person on pads, against bright yellow background.
Two smiling women with their arms around each other standing against a light blue background.
Two women standing close together against a purple background, one with long dark hair in a green vest and white shirt, the other with bright pink hair in a denim jacket.
A woman with long dark hair, wearing a white T-shirt with a logo, brown pants, and jewelry, seated on a stool against a purple background.

We also knew we wanted the Ads on Pads palette to be one that you can’t blink and miss. We veered away from the deep crimson colours of other period-championing brands and leaned into unique bright, provocative colours that make your eyes widen in delight. It’s disruptive and charmingly disarming.

We carry this feeling with us in everything we do. From our positively disruptive statements to our punky hand-drawn characters and icons. Ads on Pads is a brand that you can’t help but admire.

A series of presentation slides about advertising period products, including statistics, how it works, case studies, and product options, with words, charts, icons, and images of period products.
Three smartphones with colorful screens displaying advertisements against a tiled background. The first phone shows a woman in a pink blazer with text about free period products. The second phone has purple text on a dark background that reads 'Don't go with the flow' and a message about fighting for free for all. The third phone displays a blue screen with repeated text about free products and a cartoon character pointing with a label 'Ads on pads'.
A collage of digital screens and mobile devices showcasing a website for "Ads On Pads". The content promotes sustainable period products with bold text, colorful graphics, icons, and images of women, emphasizing themes of period equity and advertising.
Close-up of a weathered pole covered in colorful stickers, including ones that say 'ADS ON PADS' and feature a cartoon person sitting on a toilet and a jumping person, with a busy street and pink and yellow painted crosswalk in the background.
A large advertisement poster on a purple background with the text 'Ads on Pads, Tell them about your business, whilst they go about theirs'. The image depicts a hand holding a paper with the text 'Your Brand Here' and the logo 'Ads on Pads'. There is a QR code at the bottom right corner of the poster.
Billboard advertisement for ADS ON PADS featuring a swimming pool scene with a silver inflatable lounger in the pool, pink and striped lounge chairs on the pool deck, and a large yellow section with purple text asking about hearing aid taboo and a quote saying we bloody are.

Ads on Pads isn’t on a mission for the few, but for the many – regardless of socioeconomic status. As of June 2025, Ads on Pads has given away over 100,000 period products, providing people with periods throughout Aotearoa with free, biodegradable pads.

They’re smashing stigma at workplaces, festivals and universities across Aotearoa, working alongside stockists and {p}advertisers to give out free, branded products. Some {p}advertising partners and stockists include: Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand, Jucy Campers and University of Auckland.

A vibrant collage of advertisements and promotional materials for 'Ads on Pads,' featuring bright colors, images of women, pads, and mobile phones, emphasizing period products, branding, and messaging about period equity and business promotion.