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'Condom is Just Another Word' reached 150 million men across India between 2007 and 2009 through public service advertising.

The creativity of the adverts has made them award winning, and earned them the top spot on a list of CNN's most innovative safe sex initiatives.

Getting India talking

The aim was to get men talking about condoms - a tall order in a country in which sex is still widely a taboo subject. This started on the eve of World AIDS day in 2007 with a competition riddle. One of the clues was "It's a sign of manhood... but it’s not a moustache." The correct answer was "condom".

Instead of telling men to talk about condoms, it stimulated conversation amongst friends and family in order to arrive at the answer.

A pesky animated parrot, which represents talking and smartness, was chosen as the campaign's mascot. The tagline indicated that "those who talk are winners" – Jo Bola Wohi Sikander.

Nearly 400,000 people responded and 25 randomly selected winners received mobile phones with free talk time.

The riddle campaign reached 54.2 million men aged 15-49 across four states in just three weeks.

Condom, condom, condom!

Next a game of kabaddi was used in continuing with the aim to get men to talk freely about condoms.

Kabaddi is a team sport originally from the Indian subcontinent where chanting the word "kabaddi" during play is a crucial aspect of game.

A TV advert, launched in March 2008, shows a hard-fought kabaddi match. In the advert, the protagonist wins the match against an obviously macho team by chanting "condom" instead of "kabaddi".

The message was that the confidence and the smartness required to shout "condom" are also linked to being a "real man".

To make it interactive, a print advert stated that smart men talk about condoms. Readers were asked to text yes or no in response.

Â鶹Éç Media Action research showed that nearly 70% of those who saw the advert discussed it with their friends.

The creativity of the advert also won high esteem in the world of art and culture. It was included in a major exhibition of Indian contemporary art at France’s most prestigious modern art venue, the Centre Pompidou.

Curators at the exhibition were impressed with the way it used humour to explore the tensions between traditional beliefs and a new sensibility emerging in contemporary India.

Condom ringtone

In August 2008 the first ever condom ringtone was launched. It was downloaded nearly 750,000 times either via an SMS short code or from the website.

The doo-wop style a cappella song repeating the word condom was featured in a television advert where a wedding guest's phone goes off. While he's embarrassed about the repeated sound of the word condom, the other wedding guests see him as smart and responsible.

The ringtone caught the attention of national and international news media for its original approach to tackling a taboo topic.

The final advert also saw the repeated use of the word condom. This time it was because a puppy was called Condom. The main character is asked by an irate woman what the dog's name is. But after a tense moment, she applauds him. The message is that those who understand and use condoms are winners in life.

High impact

Research conducted by Â鶹Éç Media Action before and after the adverts aired showed that embarrassment around purchasing condoms decreased by 21% amongst those exposed to the messages compared to a 6% decrease among men who were not exposed.

It also got men talking. Among men who saw or heard the adverts, there was an increase by 18% of those who had discussed condoms in the last 30 days.

The research showed a huge recognition of the advert’s mascot, a know-it-all parrot. Around 99% of people interviewed recalled the parrot from the adverts.

The original project was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It was taken on by India's National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), which aired the TV and radio adverts as part of its national strategy.

As the official creative agency for NACO, Â鶹Éç Media Action continues to work on condom normalisation, sexually transmitted infections (STI) awareness and supporting voluntary blood donation.

'Condom Is Just Another Word' has been internationally recognised, drawing global praise at the Cannes Lion 2009 International Advertising Festival and at the Festival of Media, Valencia 2009.

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