Durex,
Your dispersal of condoms by Santas in Toronto is despicable. If you wish to pull a stunt like this, at least you could have the decency to use a mascot not so beloved by children. I have already blogged about this and will be sure to pass the information along to my friends and family.
Pearl
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Pearl,
Thank you for writing to us with your concerns about the Toronto condom sampling event.
The essence of the program was to communicate a serious message in a more light-hearted way that never loses sight of the importance of condom usage. [Just loses sight of the forgotten, impressionable child audience watching Santa disperse condoms]. Through ongoing global research, Durex knows that 47% of adults globally have unprotected sex without knowing a partner’s history and believes that communication about sex and condom use needs to be targeted at people in ways that will have an impact. [It certainly did have an impact....] Overall, people are not as interested in a heavy message. In this case, Durex has taken a serious message, which is more likely to be appreciated when combined with humor.
All of us seemingly get bombarded with suggestive and often irresponsible messages in movies, TV and on-line mediums. [Hm. Sounds like they're admitting that their Santa stunt was suggestive and irresponsible but justified by the twisted reasoning that those messages are a fact of life?]. The effort in Toronto was intended to be associated with secular aspects of the holiday season only [I didn't know sex was considered an "aspect of the holiday season"], and there was no intention to involve or offend any religious beliefs. [My letter to them said nothing about religion - only children - whom they still have not addressed in this response]. It was meant to be thought provoking and invoke reactions regarding the importance of condom usage. All of our products instruct users on the proper use of each product and about the potential risks of unprotected sex.
Thank you for choosing Durex® products.
Best regards,
Durex® Consumer Relations
Thank you for writing to us with your concerns about the Toronto condom sampling event.
The essence of the program was to communicate a serious message in a more light-hearted way that never loses sight of the importance of condom usage. [Just loses sight of the forgotten, impressionable child audience watching Santa disperse condoms]. Through ongoing global research, Durex knows that 47% of adults globally have unprotected sex without knowing a partner’s history and believes that communication about sex and condom use needs to be targeted at people in ways that will have an impact. [It certainly did have an impact....] Overall, people are not as interested in a heavy message. In this case, Durex has taken a serious message, which is more likely to be appreciated when combined with humor.
All of us seemingly get bombarded with suggestive and often irresponsible messages in movies, TV and on-line mediums. [Hm. Sounds like they're admitting that their Santa stunt was suggestive and irresponsible but justified by the twisted reasoning that those messages are a fact of life?]. The effort in Toronto was intended to be associated with secular aspects of the holiday season only [I didn't know sex was considered an "aspect of the holiday season"], and there was no intention to involve or offend any religious beliefs. [My letter to them said nothing about religion - only children - whom they still have not addressed in this response]. It was meant to be thought provoking and invoke reactions regarding the importance of condom usage. All of our products instruct users on the proper use of each product and about the potential risks of unprotected sex.
Thank you for choosing Durex® products.
Best regards,
Durex® Consumer Relations
Posts
