BLOODY MARY MISOGYNY

Here are the facts: Before we started this activation, one 1 of 22 states still taxed period products as luxury items, despite being a basic necessity. Because of this, women in the U.S. spent an estimated $150 million annually solely on the sales tax of period products.

When Women's History Month, SXSW, and the Texas legislative session aligned perfectly, it wasn't mere chance—it was a sign. We knew we had to do something. Through our collaboration with PeriodLaw, our team at GSD&M brought attention to the discriminatory period tax by hosting a "Bloody Mary Misogyny" activation all over Austin.

On the menu were two drinks—the Bloody Mary and the Bloody Marc. They were the exact same drink; however, the Bloody Mary came with a $1 luxury tax.

For organic social amplification, my partner and I knew there was only one choice: We had to yassify a tampon. We took to the streets with what we coined "Trina the Tampon" to raise awareness about this bloody sexist tax. Some may call it unorthodox to use a tampon as an interview microphone. We call it edgy.

Lastly, patrons were directed to BloodyTax.com, where they could learn about the period tax and take immediate action.