Working with Durex: Breaking down taboos around sex and pleasure
‘Anal’, ‘oral’ and ‘orgasm’. Three words that are now part of my everyday vocabulary. Not something all PR professionals have the ‘pleasure’ of saying.
But in the world of our client Durex, the sex conversation is full of freedom. Our campaigns have tackled the orgasm gap between sexes to mark International Women's Day, lifted the lid on the UK sexual preferences and pleasures of the nation, and offered to send jet-setting competition winners to Wank Mountain for a weekend of sexual escapes. There are no limits as we work to break down taboos around sex and pleasure.
Durex is a brand that allows us to push boundaries and have some fun, yet underlining all our activity is an important message about the brand’s purpose – which is to unleash the freedom for people to be their true sexual self. It’s an opportunity for us to activate campaigns with a purpose, which is rewarding. Across my first year of working with Durex, I’ve opened up conversations on female pleasure with media (with research showing that just 20% of females feel comfortable opening up on their sexual preferences), and shifted the needle in condom sales after seeing stats showing a 24% rise year on year in sexually transmitted infections (STIs). I've also supported Durex with its Inclusive Sex Education Guide, which was created after research revealed that LGBTQ+ individuals feel that current sex ed isn’t relevant.
Durex is always a rewarding brand to work with, but it's also an ever-learning account, and I’m here to share some of my key insights, should anyone else aspire to set foot in the world of sex comms.
1. Shocking stats drive better results
We’re fortunate enough to work with a brand that provides us with a wealth of insights to inform our creative thinking. Not only does this help with ideas, it drives better results. We are motivated to address what the data tells us – we feel a desire to do better for communities.
The recent Inclusivity Report conducted by Durex focuses on sex education for the LGTBQ+ community, showing that just 14% of respondents felt sex education was a positive experience for them, in comparison to almost half (42%) of straight people.
There was a clear need for more inclusive sex education and we were briefed to support Durex with its inclusive sex education guide - All In #MySexMyWay, which was developed in partnership with Stonewall and written for queer people, by queer people.
Not only did we promote the guide through both PR and social, but Durex activated at Pride in London, with a float featuring a banana wearing a giant condom, giving two fingers to the heteronormative curriculum! We created huge talkability off the back of this cultural moment and I felt proud to be an ally in Durex’s mission to create a more inclusive, diverse world.
2. Importance of a creative layer to cut through earned media
It’s no secret, the UK media can sometimes be a bit traditional in what they cover (to be fair they’re a reflection of mainstream society, where there are still taboos around sex – we don’t often hear open and relaxed conversations about sex). And unlike pitching your standard food and drink, beauty or fashion items into news, features and gift guides, sexual wellness articles are scarce. Because of this, a creative layer is crucial to generate cut-through for products.
We took this approach to generate coverage for Durex’s new Nude condom - the brand's thinnest, most innovative condom to date, designed for users to feel it all.
With condom sales down and the UK government reporting a rise in STIs at the end of 2022, Durex wanted to drive sales of its newly launched Nude range while encouraging condom usage by raising awareness that condoms – specifically Durex Nude - could actually enhance pleasure rather than inhibit it. With a perceived lack of sensation revealed as the nation’s biggest barrier to using them, Durex announced that it was so confident its Nude range enhances pleasure that it was hiring 50 paid Condom Testers from across the UK to trial them.
Not only did this creative cut through earned media, landing 75 pieces of coverage in the likes of The Metro, The Independent and COSMO, but sales of the Durex Nude range soared by over a third (+36%) during the campaign period, showing an increase in condom usage at a time when it’s never been so important.
3. Know your media
When it comes to Durex, not every journalist wants a release promoting its latest butt plug in their inbox at 9am… understandable. But this shows the importance of targeted pitching more than ever.
One of our biggest challenges on Durex is dodging spam filters, sometimes it feels like breaking Morse code. Words such as clitoris are automatically blocked, yet surprisingly penis isn’t… (that’s a conversation for another time).
With these struggles, we must have strong relationships with key media to test releases on, whether that’s a text or a call to ask if it’s landed, it’s their insight that helps us navigate through what sometimes feels like the impossible, and land widespread coverage for our client.
Without those solid relationships that have been nurtured with sex, health and lifestyle journalists over the last year, we wouldn’t have achieved half of the results we have to date.
When it comes to working with a sexual wellness brand, it’s not one size fits all – a bit like a condom I suppose. But hopefully, my three key learnings will help you navigate the world of sexual wellness PR, and offer the opportunity to experience the pride received from purpose-led PR.
After all, if Splendid can land a Durex Butt Plug in the hands of the This Morning team in front of Dermot O'Leary on national TV, resulting in a 100% increase in sales, then anything is possible!
If you’re interested in working with a sexual wellness brand, please check out our latest vacancies here https://splendidcommunication.teamtailor.com.