The Brief

How do you create buzz for a new condom product in a market where sex is a taboo subject? That was the challenge Durex faced when launching its new Performa condom in Hong Kong. Designed for “longer lasting sex”, Performa also had to overcome the perception that “safe sex” means blocking “the real feeling”… So it was obvious that we had to dial up its desirable effect on men’s performance in bed…. namely improving stamina, leading to better and longer lasting sex.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

The more we thought about “longer-lasting sex”, we realized that it was a special gift that would put young men above and beyond their peers. The kind of ‘superhero’s ability’ that every man fantasizes about, just like Superman flies wearing his ‘cape’ on shoulder; Spiderman jumping high with his ‘mask’ on. For HK men, they could strengthen their ‘ability’ with PERFORMA! Capitalizing on the superheroes movie frenzy with distinctive super abilities, we personified Performa as the NEW superhero <<PERFORMAN>> in town to inspire HK men to discover this new super power.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

In just 6 weeks, <<PERFORMAN>> grossed 330,000+ views, much higher than the average trailers of locally-launched movies! Durex’s App hit 15,000+ plays, even though it was branded! Durex’s Facebook also added new fans and grew by 40%! But most importantly, with sales increased by 63%, <<PERFORMAN>> became the all-time superhero for Durex! Truly a big opening that paved the way for a promising head start for Durex’ Performa!

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

A pseudo superhero movie <<PERFORMAN>> was created and promoted just like the release of a real superhero movie to capture HK men’s attention! Aired as an unbranded movie trailer on Youtube and outdoor TV networks, HK men could even see it as the “upcoming movie” when browsing movie sites or in cinemas! On launch day, a 12-min microfilm finally revealed the secret behind the “Superpower” – anybody could be a <<PERFORMAN>> with Durex Performa! Our budding heroes could even 'interact' with <<PERFORMAN>> on Durex's TVC. Those who successfully 'wore' a Performa using Durex’s App were given a trial as a reward!