Kimberly-Clark offers free Depend products to combat bladder leak stigma

Kimberly-Clark Professional is offering complimentary Depend products at Acrisure Stadium, US, home of the National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers, to help fans experiencing bladder leaks. 

Kimberly-Clark tells Personal Care Insights that it hopes that getting a world-renowned sports franchise like the Pittsburgh Steelers to embrace the program is a meaningful step forward in normalizing the conversation around incontinence. 

“Our goal is to destigmatize this pervasive health reality by showing that if the biggest teams and athletes in the world can lean into conversations around incontinence, everyone can,” a Kimberly-Clark Professional spokesperson tells us.

Marti Walsh, VP of customer experience and marketing for Kimberly-Clark Professional North America, adds, “No one should be sidelined from the action because of bladder leaks.”

The “first-of-its-kind program” is designed to give fans freedom and confidence to attend games throughout the remainder of the 2025 season. The pilot marks Kimberly-Clark Professional’s expansion into the sports and entertainment industry.

“Every fan deserves to enjoy gameday comfortably and confidently. This initiative marks an important first step in ensuring accessibility to bladder protection at more venues across the sports and entertainment industry,” says Walsh.

According to Kimberly-Clark, bladder leaks impact one in three adults over 40. The partnership aims to reduce the stigma associated with bladder incontinence and aligns with a core purpose of the global personal care corporation: Better Care for a Better World.

“Kimberly-Clark’s goal is to empower all people with the confidence and freedom to live comfortably wherever they are, especially outside the home,” the Kimberly-Clark spokesperson tells us.

Attendants at Acrisure Stadium can request Depend products at Guest Services and First Aid locations. Kimberly-Clark hopes to make modern venues more accessible and inclusive environments. 

“[Reducing the stigma] becomes increasingly important in light of the clear bag policies in place at many venues currently, as product accessibility in-venue provides a discrete way for fans to utilize the products that they rely on at home in out-of-home situations,” says the spokesperson.

“This initiative is an important first step toward making product accessibility the standard at sports and entertainment venues across the US. Future success for us will be measured not only by the amount of venues where we make our products accessible, but also how we ensure that our greater portfolio of brands like Huggies, Kotex, and more are being made available so patrons can access all the consumer products that they know and love in an away-from-home setting.”

Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to provide hygiene and personal care solutions. Key brands in this away-from-home segment include Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott, and WypAll. 

Partnering with the Steelers is not Depend’s first foray into a sports partnership. Last year, the underwear and bladder leakage product brand teamed up with former NFL football star Emmitt Smith during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month to demystify “taboos” surrounding the disease and raise money for treatments.

It marked the fifth year of Depend’s Stand Strong for Men’s Health initiative, which benefits the Prostate Cancer Foundation.