1) Improve Millennial's condom perceptions and normalize condom usage to drive awareness of a larger public health concern
- Research shows that sexually active Millennials know they're taking a risk but think, "it won't happen to me." They initially use condoms but once they reach a comfort zone, using protection drops off to roughly one out of three acts, whether or not they've had "the talk" with their partner about condom usage.
- 3.2MM unintended pregnancies happen each year – all avoidable with the consistent and correct use of condoms
- One in five Americans (65MM people) have an STD, nearly half of reported STDs occur in Millennials under 25
2) Educate young adults about condom usage in a relatable way to generate greater condom compliance
We knew a forceful and unrelatable message about STDs and unintended pregnancies could turn off Millennials so our goal was to share an informative but relevant message to get both singles and couples talking about and practicing safe sex. Trojan Brand partnered with MTV, a trusted, influential and culturally relevant brand, to get Millennials thinking responsibly about their sexual health with content that would break through and resonate, all aimed at helping this demographic make the best decisions.
MTV and Trojan Brand teamed up, in conjunction with "It's Your Sex Life" (non-profit sexual health platform affiliated with The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation), to create a digital content series titled, MTV's "Guide To ____" aimed at helping Millennials navigate the tricky sex and relationship scene with smart, humorous and relatable advice that communicated the importance of condom usage. We developed the series to open up the conversation that is often awkward or taboo and modified it in way Millennials wanted to watch and engage with. The program was designed to inspire responsible movement through eight, long and short-form videos that covered topics from "d*ick picks" (choosing the best condom for you and your partner) to digital dating.
To bring the series to life, we created messaging using our target's vernacular to resonate with their communication style and developed the campaign tagline, #ResponsibleAF. This tagline was integrated into each piece of content in various ways, and followed the campaign's messaging – "Use a Condom Every Time. ResponsibleAF." Trojan Brand leveraged the authority and authenticity of MTV editorial, as well as the voice and reach of social influencers Shannon Boodram, clinical sexologist, and Josh Leyva, relatable YouTuber, to carry the series and embody the #ResponsibleAF messaging.
We employed a multi-platform distribution strategy that modelled how Millennials consume content and modified Trojan Brand's message for each platform – YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and TV – so the message would break through the clutter. Long-form episodes were hosted on YouTube, short-form called "Just the Tips" lived on Facebook and Twitter for easy, snackable consumption and GIFs from our episodes on Instagram and Tumblr. Additionally, MTV's editorial team adapted the "Guide To" content for its Snapchat Discover channel, and for contextual relevance, Trojan Brand aligned their ad creative with content featuring couples modelling safe sex behaviour.
As part of our #ResponsibleAF movement, Shannon brought her unique and personal perspective to the topic of safe sex and condom compliance through two original YouTube videos. One debunked women's insecurities about purchasing condoms, and the other shared her personal story as to how she contracted an STD and her learnings from that experience. Her vulnerability was celebrated by fans and encouraged others to share their personal stories without fear. On top of it all, the Trojan Brand praised Shannon for her STD story and started an initiative on Facebook to help support public health and prevent STDs in partnership with the National Coalition of STD Directors. Trojan Brand donated 100,000 Trojan condoms to the organization.
The campaign culminated at the biggest cultural summer event – the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards – where Shannon, Trojan Brand's brave warrior, made a bold fashion statement on the VMA red carpet in an effort to get the conversation going about safe sex. Additionally, a custom TV spot ran in-show that utilized MTV's iconic Moonman and the #ResponsibleAF messaging that was relative to the show. This allowed us to authentically normalize condom usage at the center of pop culture stage.
MTV gathered insights from two panel studies, "Latitude Research: Ad Effectiveness & Sponsorship Integration Study" and "MyVoice" to inform our campaign partnership with Trojan Brand. Participants A18-24 in each study answered a survey after being exposed to our campaign message. Results showed we:
1) Positively improved Millennial's condom perceptions and usage
- 83% of participants agreed that the campaign helped to normalize condom conversation and usage after seeing Trojan Brand's content (MyVoice)
- 92% of participants said Trojan Brand's content increased the likelihood of buying Trojan Brand products (Latitude)
- 73% of participants said they would follow "condom compliance & use it every time" after seeing Trojan Brand's sponsorship (Latitude)
- 72% of participants said they would talk about Trojan Brand with someone (+95% vs. pre-campaign) (Latitude)
2) Established Trojan Brand as a relatable voice in the social community
- 79% like the campaign tagline, #ResponsibleAF (MyVoice)
- 73% of all fan tweets relevant to the campaign had a positive sentiment (Echo)
- 95% think the partnership between Trojan Brand and MTV is a good fit (MyVoice)
- 83% of participants agree that Shannon Boodram and Josh Leyva were great representatives for Trojan Brand (Latitude)
- 13K Trojan Brand mentions, 303K Engagement, 306MM Impressions across social, digital and linear (Echo)
All findings indicate consumer favourability with Trojan Brand and MTV's partnership, and showed they appreciated and agreed with the importance of talking about safe sex and using a condom every time.
