How can you make a condom ad go viral, you ask? Well, take some cool music and lyrics, add some rap to it, sprinkle in some Bollywood masala and there you have it! And that’s exactly what Durex, the global leader in sexual well being, did to gain quite a lot of eyeballs on social media.
Last month, Durex launched the “DoTheRex” campaign featuring Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as the brand ambassador. Unlike the usual condom ads which objectify women, this campaign is different as it uses the quirky side of Ranveer to convey the ‘Have Safe Sex’ message to youngsters in a fun way. Incidentally, this is the first time that a male Indian actor is associated with a condom brand. I must say that’s a brave move by our very own Bollywood ka Gunda.
Durex is known to be a brand with a strong online presence across various social media platforms. They’ve always been able to engage their audience through quirky and witty videos which are very different from the regular ads in this product category. A team of talented artists comprising of Karan Kapadia (Director), Bosco Caeser (Choreographers), Ravi Varman (Cinematographer) and Mikey McCleary (Music) have come together to create this peppy video. This is not all, the multi-talented Ranveer Singh has himself written and rapped the lyrics of the soundtrack as well.
Nitish Kapoor, General Manager of RB India said, “As a global category leader, Durex is passionate about sexual wellbeing and understands the importance of connecting with youth in the country. Through our partnership with Ranveer, who is a hugely popular figure and loved by young people across the country, we will be able to positively engage in a discussion around the subject of sexual well-being and safe sex in India. Great Sex Moves You is the language Durex is speaking across the globe and we are extremely excited to launch our first campaign with Ranveer Singh – Do The Rex.”
Social Media Score
Having said all that, how well did the brand really do?
The video was launched on YouTube and through the brand’s Facebook page on April 23rd. Within 2 weeks of launch, the video cross 2 million views on YouTube and 9,000+ likes on Facebook. In fact, within the last two weeks, the YouTube video has crossed 3 million views.
Even the brand page saw a spike in likes during the week this video was posted. Moe than 60,000+ people liked the page and the trend carried ahead in to the weeks to come.
Here’s the scene on Twitter as captured on May 16th. The Twitter engagement for the brand is a tad bit lower as compared to its engagement on Facebook.
Well, at the end of the day these are all numbers that might or might not matter. What matters is the fact that this campaign has got people talking, the youth talking. And remember, “sex” is still a topic that we Indians love to avoid. With such a cultural blockage, it is difficult for a brand to achieve something like this. There have been several mixed reviews. On one hand, people have loved it and appreciated the fact that the Durex as a brand as well as Ranveer both have taken a bold step and come up with something like this. Then again, there are the other kind of people who are like, “What the hell?”
But, like I said, the point is that it has got people talking and discussing about this. And that is the ultimate objective and hence, Mission Accomplished!
What do you think about this campaign?