Assignment and goal
The agency was asked to create a poster, online and TV campaign
to remind young adults to use condoms, without being intimidating
or clinical. Using the creative strategy “Have fun, but be safe,”
we needed to design posters to hang in college health clinics and
produce a 30-second TV/video spot to promote the product online as
well as on select cable TV channels with a gay male audience. Our
target demographic was males 18–24.
Methodology
Rather than using the typical romantic couples or scantily clad
girls and skinny hipster guys, we opted to use the real product in
a tongue-in-cheek, fun way. It's the first condom campaign that
actually features the product as hero. It is also the first time a
condom has established a brand personality.
Challenges
For the posters, balloon animals were made with actual condoms.
As it turned out, inflated condoms are not the easiest props to
shape. Having a professional magician—one who makes balloon
animals—assisting with numerous props turned out to be the wisest
decision of the shoot. The layered files from the posters were sent
to Superfad, who used them as a reference for their CGI.
Results
We couldn't be happier with the overall impact and exposure the
print and especially the TV component have generated. Without a
doubt,
this :30 spot has been the most successful piece of
communication in the history of Durex global advertising.
The spot reached ten thousand viewers online the first day it
hit YouTube in February. Within a week we had a few hundred
thousand more. Today, it has passed 12 million viewers worldwide
and growing. It has also done well at the major award shows. A 2009
Lion winner at Cannes in the viral category, these irreverent
characters have also won awards at the One Show, Clios, D&AD,
Art Directors Club of New York and swept four categories in AICP,
including the coveted “Humor” category.
“Get It On” has been included in the AICP show at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York and in the global ACT Responsible
exhibit of the best social responsibility advertising in the
world.
Beyond the results
For the team at Fitzgerald+CO, “Get It On” has reinforced the
notion that when you have fun working on a project, it shows
through in the final product. It also proves the power of a simple,
singular concept. Having such a simple idea meant the online and TV
seemed to write itself. And since the concept engages consumers
through visuals that translate universally, it's ideal for global
use.
Editor's note: The case
study above was written at AIGA's
request and coordinated by Sarah Zimmerman. Please contact the
editor if you would also like to provide a case
study.
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