A free condom acappella ringtone with many manly harmonic parts in lovely funky classical style is featured in a new ad
campaign as part of a two year project using mass media to make condoms more
generally acceptable. It is produced by the BBC
World Service Trust and funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) is also using the ad
to support its condom promotion efforts.
The strategy is to show social support for condoms, as this
has a positive effect on use, and position condoms as a product that men use to
show they are responsible and care about themselves and their families. The creative
idea of the ringtone winning approval from men and women of all ages reinforces
that condoms mean good sense and those who know it are the real winners in
life!
The campaign uses a multitude of youth friendly platforms such
as website downloads, online games, mobile advertising and downloads, along
with the TV and radio advertisements and on-ground activation. The objective is
to connect with all age groups and across the socio-economic strata. This
original ringtone can be downloaded in
India
by SMSing “CONDOM” to 56887 (download charges apply) or free from anywhere worldwide
on the website
www.condomcondom.org.
The campaign therefore focuses on people who are sensible
enough to appreciate and understand this, and so the tagline is Jo Samjha Wohi Sikander (“the one who understands is a winner”).
Creative Director of the BBC
World Service Trust, Radharani Mitra states:
“Ringtones have become such personal statements that a specially created condom
ringtone seemed just the right vehicle to define its user as a sensible person.
We have always had a strong interactive, response-oriented element in this
ongoing campaign. This downloadable ringtone provides yet another opportunity
for our target audience to translate the message into an action point. The very
act of downloading and using this ringtone would have a counter effect on the
inhibitions and taboos that can be associated with condoms. And it adds an
element of fun and comfort to it.”
The ringtone advertisement is the third instalment of the
ongoing condom normalisation campaign. The campaign has reached over 100 million people in the four target states of Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu - states
with high rates of HIV. Each phase has used the media in innovative and
interactive ways to get people to talk about condoms and accept them as a sign
of smart and responsible behaviour. These innovations include a contest where
winners received mobile phone with free talk time, an ad featuring a Kabaddi
match won by the unlikely chant of “condom”, SMS opinion polls and more.
Leave a comment