Summary
- Campaign Name: “Seize Control of Your Love Life” (for Durex Jeans)
- Product/Focus: Highlighting the “Jeans” condom variant for its ultimate comfort and ease of access.
- Core Message: Confidence and spontaneity are non-negotiable parts of intimacy. Preparation should be as effortless as slipping on a pair of jeans.
- Key Insight: Ranveer Singh’s persona—loud, energetic, and unafraid—acts as a cultural stamp of approval, helping to break the historical taboo surrounding safe sex conversation in India.
- Featured Star: Ranveer Singh
- The Durex Jeans ad campaign, launched in 2017, featured brand ambassador Ranveer Singh alongside actor Sobhita Dhulipala.
- It generated significant buzz, initially suggesting that Durex was launching a clothing line before revealing its new pocket-sized condom pack.
The marketing strategy
The campaign used a unique, multi-layered marketing strategy to grab attention and normalize conversations about condoms:
- The “Durex Jeans” hoax: Before the official ad, Durex ran a teaser campaign where Ranveer Singh announced that the brand was launching its own line of jeans. He posted on social media, saying, “Durex is launching Jeans! Designed for the passionate! Fits well 😉 #DurexJeans”. This created immediate viral interest, with many speculating whether the famous condom brand was actually entering the apparel market.
- The reveal: Days later, Durex unveiled the full ad, revealing that “Durex Jeans” was not denim wear, but a new line of condoms. The marketing gimmick was effective in generating buzz and curiosity around the product.
- Integrated approach: The campaign was a fully integrated effort created by Havas Worldwide India. It combined print, digital, and television media to achieve its viral success.
The ad’s plot
The television commercial, which was released after the initial teaser, features a couple—played by Ranveer Singh and Sobhita Dhulipala—testing for spontaneity.
- Testing for durability: The ad begins with Ranveer Singh engaging in a series of strange, energetic acts around a house. He aggressively shakes furniture and jumps on a large Swiss ball, testing the durability of items as a metaphor for intimacy.
- Ready for love: Sobhita Dhulipala’s character is shown arriving at the door to see him. She drop her bag on the door while Ranveer opens the door. In a not so discreet way she put one condom pocket pack into her back jeans pocket, emphasising that the condoms are designed to be carried anywhere.
- The final message: The commercial concludes with the core message that with Durex Jeans’ ultra-slim pocket pack, one can be “always ready for love”.
Reception and recall
The Durex Jeans campaign was widely successful for several reasons:
- Breaking the taboo: The campaign, like Singh’s earlier “Do The Rex” ad, used humor and bold visuals to normalize the discussion around buying and carrying condoms in India, where it is often considered taboo.
- Product innovation: The ad successfully highlighted the discreet, jeans-pocket-friendly packaging, which addressed consumer awkwardness around carrying condoms.
- Celebrity and virality: Ranveer Singh’s association, combined with the social media-savvy “hoax” campaign, ensured that the ad reached a wide audience and created massive engagement online.
