We’re no strangers to provocative billboard ads – pretty much every week we see something that makes us double-take. But here’s a new campaign that’s quite literally making a splash. 

Women’s health brand Elvie has launched a striking new promotional poster featuring a woman lifting weights and peeing. As in, there’s actual liquid coming out of the poster. It’s certainly a first – and it comes with an important message. (Looking for more inspiration? Check out the best print ads of all time.)

The ad in London, which features the tagline ‘Leaks happen’, is designed to help break the stigma around mild or minor incontinence. According to Elvie, it comes two weeks after TikTok banned a video on its profile showing a similar image of a woman leaking while lifting, deeming it “graphic content”.

“How can we educate about pelvic floor health, if we’re too frightened to talk about leaks and too frightened to share our experiences?” Asks the company, which sells products such as the Elvie Trainer, designed to “strengthen your pelvic floor”. Research from the brand reveals 84% of women in the UK suffer from mild or minor incontinence.

The ad was created with brand activism agency Don’t Cry Wolf, and can be found on Commercial Street this week. And it isn’t the first ad we’ve seen subvert a traditionally ‘ick-inducing’ idea for good – McDonald’s recently tackled littering with a provocative campaign of its own. Looking for more examples? Check out these 42 traffic-stopping billboard designs.

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