Durex: Durex Performan [Video]

Credits & Description:

Award: AME Bronze Medallion
Competition: AME
Competition Year: 2014
Agency: PHD Hong Kong
Agency Country: HONG KONG
Agency City: Hong Kong
Category: UM01 branded entertainment
Category Group: use of medium
Brand/Sponsor: Durex
Title: Durex Performan
Item Company: PHD Hong Kong / Kitchen
Item Country: HONG KONG
Creative Director: Alan Kan
Production Company: N/A
Production Company Producer: N/A
Product Type Condom
Campaign Start 07 / 11 / 2013
Campaign End 08 / 28 / 2013
Campaign Ran Hong Kong
Campaign Description Product Re-launch
Marketing Context Durex is a leader of condoms in Hong Kong and has always been known for “Safe Sex”. To young men in Hong Kong, “Safe Sex” meant thicker latex that blocked the “Real Feeling”! This was a major put off that pushed them to competitors.
So in 2013, when Durex re-launched Performa, a condom prized for unlocking the secret for “longer-lasting sex”. It was obvious that we had to dial up its “desirable” effect on men’s performance in bed. And with hopes on Performa to turn around Durex’s business, we had to ensure that strong buzz and anticipation was generated for the campaign.
Campaign Planning
While Superman flied with his cape on his shoulder, while Spiderman jumped high with his mask on, all young men needed for a “longer-lasting sex” was a condom.
So we transformed and personified Performa as the new superhero in town. Our idea – PERFORMAN.
Marketing & Media Strategy
To capitalize on the superhero movie frenzy and dramatize the prolonged sexual pleasure enabled by Durex Performa, a pseudo superhero movie 'PERFORMAN' was created.
And to draw crowds of attention as powerful as Iron Man 3, our goal was to spin off tremendous curiosity and hype for the up and coming superhero.
Our media strategy was to promote Performa just like the release of a real superhero movie!
We prioritized our exposure in the few weeks “right before the movie launch”, airing an unbranded PERFORMAN movie trailer together with an official “Movie Website”.
Not only was the “movie trailer” released on YouTube and most outdoor TV networks, posters of the movies were ubiquitous around town. You could even see PERFORMAN as the “coming movie” when you browsed movie sites, and its 3D standee at cinema foyers!
Breaking the barriers in advertising restrictions for condoms, PERFORMAN was the new superhero nobody would miss!
Creative Strategy
While PERFORMAN dominated all key visuals of posters with the mystery just like any other superhero movie, the actual movie was a 12-min microfilm Performa Condom revealing the secret of the “Super Power” – Anybody could be PERFORMAN with their Performa Condom on!
The campaign wrapped up with a mobile App that enabled young men to interact with PERFORMAN on the TVC - PERFORMAN would throw them a Performa condom. Whenever their phone successfully wore that condom, the audience became PERFORMAN and won free condom samples for a real experience
Evidence of Results
PERFORMAN trailer captivated more than 330,000 views in less than 6 weeks, more than average trailers from locally launched movies!
Our App achieved 15,000+ plays, even though it Durex branded!
Durex’s Facebook new fans immediately grew by 40%!
More importantly, sales of Durex Performa increased by 63% after the campaign!
PERFORMAN proved its super ability to help Performa and paved the way for on a strong head start!
Target Audience
Sex is still a taboo subject in Hong Kong’s Chinese culture! It was incredibly challenging to create an engaging campaign without talking or even hinting about the pleasurable sexual enjoyment.
The more we thought about Performa’s offering and how it fit in young men’s lives, we realized that “longer-lasting sex” in fact was a special gift that put young men above and beyond their average peers.
What Performa offered was very much like a super ability that allowed young men to put the needs of their partner before their own.
Talent 1: Rex Tang|Associate Director, PHD HK
Talent 2: Alan Kan|Creative Director, Kitchen
Talent 3: Joe Yu|Senior Planner, PHD HK
Talent 4: Vivien Fong|Associate Buying Director