The Campaign

In a country of sexual paradox where centuries-old carvings twist and turn in pleasure while today’s pop culture police recoil at the very mention of sex, Durex wanted to turn editors on to the idea that sex could and should be put front and center as mainstream lifestyle stories for readers across India. So how did we do it? Based on the insight that true love and great sex together create a singularly spectacular experience that deserve to be celebrated by everyone, we devised a provocative dance and physical expression of the joy of sex by one of Bollywood’s boldest youth icons Ranveer Singh and featured it in a digital music video. We used the video to challenge a select group of editors to change the conversation on sex. Coverage broke in print, broadcast and online the same day we unveiled the video, and within the first week the video was viewed more than 1 million times online. Within the first month, it was viewed over 2.5 Million times and we had successfully changed the national discourse around sex.

The Brief

Durex wanted to elevate the conversation surrounding sex in India and convey a message about safe sex that was still fun. The campaign needed to be a platform to encourage Indian youth to speak more openly about sex. To do this we were tasked with: • Driving views of the branded “Do The Rex” video • Getting press interested • Help take away the embarrassment of discussing sex among youth in India We analyzed the media coverage and marketing strategies of key competitors and evaluated their share of voice in the market place. We reached out to senior media writers to gauge their willingness to discuss the topic of sex with their readers and assess any potential for accusations that such a campaign promoted promiscuity.

Results

We successfully generated conversations around the campaign with: • 16 full page national stories in leading publications such as the Times of India, Hindustan Times and The Hindu • 60 Minutes of broadcast coverage solely dedicated to the Do The Rex campaign • Which amounted to an advertising value equivalent of over $769,485 • Print Coverage: $ 563,360 • Broadcast Coverage: $14,060 • Online: $191,145 Within the 1st week the branded film content was viewed on YouTube 1 million times, and within the first month it was viewed over 2.5 Million times The campaign played a role in changing the national discourse on sex: “In squeamish and hypocritical Bollywood, Ranveer Singh comes as a refreshing change. It isn’t surprising that condom brand Durex’s latest video campaign titled ‘Do the Rex’ clocked over a million YouTube hits within days of its release” – Hindu Business Line

Execution

After analyzing media receptiveness and identifying the most receptive media targets, we offered 3 leading national TV channels in India AND the leading print publications in three of Durex’s largest urban markets the following: • A first peak at Ranveer’s sexy moves • A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the video • Exclusive interviews that focused on Ranveer and Durex’s perspective on the importance of open conversation about great sex. All of these interviews – both print and online, were embargoed and slated to break on the day of the video launch. • Localized and translated news releases were disseminated across tier two and three markets, to ensure that print news of the campaign even spread beyond our target demographic. • We then shared behind-the-scenes footage with all other entertainment and news channels • In-depth conversations between the brand and top editors

The Situation

Condoms are currently only used by 5 percent of the population of India and remains a taboo subject for a large number of people. Condoms are often only referred to in the context of sexually transmitted infections, AIDS prevention and safe sex. Advertising was allowed but was largely crass, blatant and embarrassing. We had to find a way to change the conversation about sex with editors who typically resist mentions of brands in lifestyle stories. We discovered that we would need to overcome the reluctance of editors to mention brands via media coverage (especially a condom brand) and counter the perception that condoms remained a ‘health’ topic that was difficult to discuss in a fun way.

The Strategy

We decided to target young urbanites who would be more open to engaging in discussions around sex. They lived in tier-one metropolitan areas and were exposed to all kinds of global, social and lifestyle trends. This demographic had the most potential when it came to discussing sex as joyful and fun. Our strategy was to: • Engage media that were more open and willing to discuss the subject of sex: Through our research, we identified editors we knew were ready for more and who we could count on to help us break free of the moralistic mores that restricted stories in Indian press • Show them how to “Do-the-Rex”: We offered first access to our video content to the largest national media houses most open to carrying bold and unconventional content • Looked for every opportunity to expand sphere of influence with other media: Key publications that were offered exclusive and first access to the video gave us larger format coverage, but it also emboldened smaller media houses to carry the conversation forward.