Talk to me / For something that, on the face of it, appears to be a humorous gimmick, Four Seasons Condoms’ Generation Intervention campaign actually represents an interesting approach to an interesting challenge. Just as Pedigree’s mission is to encourage more dog ownership to ensure a continuing demand for dog food (read our Pedigree Brand Spotlight from 2015 here), Four Seasons depends on people’s sex lives in order to keep selling condoms. Particularly to young Australian adults, among whom both sexual activity and condom use appear to be in decline: according to the National Debrief Survey, conducted in 2018 in New South Wales, Australia, 69% of Australians aged 15-19 didn't use a condom when having sex with regular partners, and 24% didn't use condoms with casual partners.
Although all the elements of this campaign - the live-streamed interventions, the awkward conversations, the hotline - are humorous, they all acknowledge the seriousness of the issue. ‘The Talk 2.0’ is designed to create an opportunity for honest conversation between parents and their adult children, to both discuss the social and emotional issues that affect libido and remind people of the mental health benefits of a happy, healthy sex life.
Encouraging parents to talk to their children about their sex lives is a distinctly unsexy move, but it signals that Four Seasons Condoms is prepared to step away from cliched ads full of attractive couples and erotic scenes, to address what is truly causing the so-called ‘sex recession’: social pressures and mental health issues.
As Michael Porter, the sales and marketing director at Four Seasons Condoms said in a press release: ‘Young people are facing more barriers to sex than ever before. Increased social media is depriving them of real human connection and usage can contribute to feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression.’
Different is good / This campaign’s right-on approach to sex might have you thinking it’s a fresh new startup, entering the market as a challenger brand. In fact, Four Seasons Condoms is an established retailer with plenty of campaigns under its belt - and this campaign is right on brand for the company, whose light-hearted campaigns include The Extendables (when the brand created a TV show to distract kids, enabling their parents to have more sex) and a Mardi Gras campaign called ‘Are You Coming?’. wherein actors faked orgasm on camera.
By keeping things fun, honest and upfront, rather than repeat the tactics of other condom brands, Four Seasons Condoms’ offbeat approach may stand a better chance of appealing to its audience of young Australians. Furthermore, the brand made sure its products were trialled by hundreds of people who participated in the campaign and applied for the 400 free Intervention packs: ultimately packaging a sampling campaign into a fun, educational initiative.
