Here’s how Durex got to the bottom of an advertising taboo
One Green Bean won the ‘Best use of print in a content marketing campaign’ at The Drum Awards for Content 2021 with its campaign for Durex. Here, the team behind the winning entry shares the secrets of this successful project...
The challenge
With 57% of the population enjoying anal sex on a regular basis, Durex decided to create Perfect Gliss, a new silicone-based lubricant designed specifically for anal sex. There was just one problem - we couldn’t talk about it. Societal shame and stigma have resulted in a complete censorship of all things anal sex related in mainstream media.
Our task was to navigate this censorship and raise awareness of the new product.
The strategy
Our target audience was those who were already having anal sex at least once a year – a difficult audience to profile. This informed our approach to the campaign and confirmed that any content created needed to appeal to a broad demographic, spanning age, gender, sexual preferences and lifestyle.
But with mainstream media censoring any use of the words ‘anal’ or ‘lube’ we had to think differently and connect with our broad audience through a non-traditional content campaign. We needed to spark debate and conversation around these misconceptions and censorship, whilst also inspiring people with the potential for shared pleasure that anal sex offers. We had to execute an idea that was more than a product feature – a picture of a tube of lube just wasn’t going to shift the dial on something so misunderstood.
To understand why media will allow marketing to talk about sex but not anal sex, we undertook an intensive piece of media auditing, social listening and good old-fashioned research. This led us to discovering censorship of anal sex is nothing new. It dates back almost two thousand years to the most recognized authority on sex and love, the Kama Sutra. So, in order to move the narrative forward, we decided to go back and rewrite history with The Forgotten Chapter.
The campaign
Forgoing traditional film and print campaigns that carry societal restrictions, we turned to the powerful medium of publishing, creating our very own edition of the most ancient of texts, the Kama Sutra.
Partnering with French author, sex and intimacy expert, Maïa Mazaurette we literally wrote the narrative on anal sex. As a champion of embracing one’s sexuality and questioning contemporary narratives, Mazaurette authored five unique positions that demonstrated the shared pleasure and intimacy of anal sex that became the foundations of The Forgotten Chapter. From the empowering “Fearless Cowgirl” to the intimate “The Rose Leaf” each position was brought to life by India-based artist and illustrator, Shreya Gulati, in a series of illustrations depicting a diverse array of couples that celebrate rather than silence.
The Forgotten Chapter became the latest addition to the world’s oldest sex manual, changing the conversation, highlighting the outdated opinions of traditional media and ensuring anal sex became a celebrated - not stigmatised - part of a healthy, loving and liberated sex-life.
This one-of-a-kind, hand-made, screen printed, leather bound and gold gilt manuscript became the centrepiece of a gallery exhibition, allowing the public to explore and celebrate a world of joy, pleasure and love that mainstream media has deemed unacceptable.
The results
Key highlights included:
• +23% product demand;
• +7% brand recognition;
• +1.8% market share increase;
• 50 media articles;
• 36 million reach.
This project was a winner at The Drum Awards for Content 2021. Click here to find out which of The Drum Awards are currently open for entry.