Here’s one way to encourage Gen Z to use condoms.
In the spirit of “never let a good health crisis go to waste”, here at Back Page HQ we dip our lids to the creatives working for Four Seasons Condoms.
Latching onto the very real data issued by the Kirby Institute showing that rates of chlamydia and gonorrhoea are rising alarmingly, especially among people aged 20 to 29, the team at Four Seasons thinks the time is right to encourage greater use of condoms among this demographic.
This is especially relevant in the light of research from La Trobe University showing that today’s Gen Zedders are significantly less inclined than their elders to pop on a franger before indulging in a round of horizontal folk dancing.
But how to get the message across to this notoriously marketing-averse slice of the generational alphabet?
Evidently traditional health messaging is missing the mark, so Four Seasons has devised a campaign which uses humour and spectacle to bring to life the risks of unprotected sexual activity.
The advertising, created by independent creative agency Emotive in partnership with AI film production specialists AiCandy Australia, features an intimate moment between two young adults, where a decision not to use a condom quickly spirals into chaos.
What follows includes a giant baby crashing through the city, followed by grotesque STI creatures representing gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis tearing through the streets and buildings. You can watch the whole production here to get a better idea.
“STI rates are rising, and traditional messaging isn’t cutting through,” director at Four Seasons Condoms Michael Porter said in a media release. “We wanted to create something people would actually watch and talk about, using entertainment to make the risks feel real.”
Despite our being the proud owner of a fine Gen Z specimen, your Back Page scrawler has zero idea whether this sort of campaign will cut through with them or not.
But we do admire the fact that the Four Seasons honchos are giving it a red-hot crack.
Incidentally, Four Seasons labels itself as a “heritage brand” in the Australian condom field. We’re not quite sure what that represents, but we hope it doesn’t mean its dingers are made out of sheep’s intestines – a manufacturing process still common in New Zealand as late as the 1970s. (Don’t ask how we know this … we just do, OK)
Transmit your STIs (Stories, Tales and Intrigues) to Holly@medicalrepublic.com.au.
