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Tag: Durex

  • Durex finds the other G-spot for early detection

    Durex finds the other G-spot for early detection

    MUMBAI: Who knew pleasure could be a lifesaver? This World Breast Cancer Day, Durex swapped seduction for self-care with its provocative new campaign, The Other G-Spot, proving once again that the world’s most playful brand can also be its most purposeful. The campaign redefines protection by linking the language of pleasure to the power of prevention, urging women to discover a spot that could truly save lives.

    For years, pop culture has obsessed over the G-spot, that elusive zone of discovery and delight. Durex, however, has uncovered another, one where “G” stands for “gland”, the mammary glands where most breast cancers begin. And like its better-known namesake, this one too can only be found by touch, by women themselves.

    At its heart, the campaign is a call to action, encouraging women to conduct self-examinations, schedule screenings and normalise conversations around early detection. The statistics are sobering, one woman in India is diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes, yet only a small fraction know how to perform a self-check. Durex wants to change that, one confident conversation at a time.

    In the digital film, a woman opens with the teasing line, “I found a new G-Spot, and I can’t wait to show you.” Viewers lean in, expecting a familiar Durex twist, and they get one, just not the kind they anticipated. The reveal? She’s referring to the life-saving self-exam spot.

    The campaign cleverly blurs the line between sensuality and self-care, using curiosity to drive awareness. The message lands powerfully, self-touch isn’t just about pleasure, it’s about protection.

    But The Other G-Spot isn’t just an ad, it’s an interactive movement. Durex is taking the conversation into private DMs, users who message the brand with “The Other G-Spot” receive a video tutorial guiding them through the art of self-examination, all explained in the familiar, confident Durex tone.

    Reckitt South Asia regional marketing director, health Kanika Kalra said, “At Durex, we believe confidence and awareness go hand in hand. This campaign turns prevention into empowerment, encouraging women to see self-care as an act of strength and love.”

    With The Other G-Spot, Durex once again pushes boundaries, and this time, they might just save lives doing it. Because real protection, as the brand reminds us, starts long before the bedroom.

     
     
  • Digital marketing veteran leaves Reckitt after nine-year stint

    Digital marketing veteran leaves Reckitt after nine-year stint

    MUMBAI: Shashishekhar Mukherjee, one of India’s most decorated digital marketing executives, has ended his nine-year tenure as head of digital marketing at Reckitt, the British consumer health and hygiene giant behind brands including Dettol, Durex and Veet.

    The departure of the 18-year industry veteran, announced on LinkedIn this week, marks another high-profile exit from the fast-moving consumer goods sector as companies grapple with rapid digital transformation and fierce competition for top talent.

    Mukherjee, who joined Reckitt in April 2016, spearheaded the company’s data-driven marketing strategy across its marquee portfolio, which also includes Moov pain relief gel. His campaigns earned recognition at prestigious industry awards including the APAC Effies, Asian Warc and Emvies.

    The executive’s credentials include being named among Brand Equity’s top 30 digital marketers. He currently serves as a board advisor to the India Influencer Governing Council and is a member of the Mobile Marketing Association’s APAC retail media network.

    “After nine incredible years, I recently bid farewell to my team, coworkers, and friends at Reckitt,” Mukherjee wrote in his LinkedIn post, describing the role as having “profoundly shaped me both personally and professionally.”

    His exit comes as multinational consumer goods companies face intensifying pressure to digitise their operations and connect with younger consumers across India’s diverse markets. The sector has witnessed a wave of senior departures as executives seek new opportunities in the rapidly evolving landscape.

    Mukherjee’s departure follows a distinguished career spanning blue-chip agencies and brands. Before Reckitt, he served stints at GSK (now Haleon), where he led digital initiatives for wellness brands including Sensodyne toothpaste and Eno antacid, and at Mindshare, where he headed digital strategy for PepsiCo’s portfolio.
    His early career included roles at GroupM, handling accounts for Twinings tea, Kurkure snacks and Domino’s Pizza, and at Publicis Groupe, managing digital offerings for Hewlett-Packard and telecom operator MTS.

  • How Durex got folks in the wrong mood at IIT Mumbai’s Mood Indigo

    How Durex got folks in the wrong mood at IIT Mumbai’s Mood Indigo

    MUMBAI: Humour in advertising  can really strike a funny bone  and have  us doubling over in laughter! It can be a great conversation starter, leader and silence breaker. And a great ad re-caller. However, it all depends on where the humorous advertising is being placed.

    The Indian Institutes of Technology are known to be filled with the super intelligent young folk, actually young adults, but they are also the places where the most amount of things that should not happen, happen. Especially after studying and assignment  time are over.

    Fun, gags, leg pulling, and several other un-mentionable things take place as some of  the mild engineering students in the day turn into evil Hydes late in the evening. Surely, they will know how to take a joke, right?

    Wrong! As the condom brand Durex from the Reckitt Benckiser stable discovered. 

    Durex chose to sponsor the very famous IIT Moodi Indigo festival in Mumbai in a bid to create awareness about safe sex with protection. (During Mood I fest really, where smoking up is pretty common and you find folks cozying up in hidden nooks and crannies, at least it was the case at one time – the professors and the dean would never guess!).

    Mood Indigo Durex

    Durex decided to take the  ‘pun’ning  route to educate the young ‘adult AI, ML, LLM-obsessed students, many of whom are culturing and  nurturing unicorn start up ideas in their heads.

    The Durex standees had tongue in cheek (pun intended again) slogans: “Always up for a good screw,” “Mood U and I. Play with Durex,” “Here the Feelings are always real! We don’t fake around!,””Here because we found the Jee spot. Play with Durex,””Tonight Won’t Come Twice,””I am always a late-comer” and so on.

    Guess the slogans were, and are worth a laugh. 

    Or at least a giggle.  

    Not for some students though.  They rose up as a crowd and voiced their complaints against the so called “vulgar” jokes.

    And guess what?

    While Durex condoms offer protection, no one came forward to protect Durex. The standees had to be prematurely withdrawn and stacked up in a corner hidden from sight.

    The joke really backfired on Durex.

    So did Durex go wrong?

    Some like experienced marketer and brand custodian Arpita  Yadav think so.

    “Everyone, including me loves the quirk that Durex brings on to their social media, even ads. But not sure if I have ever seen it in an outdoor setting, let alone on a college campus. I am all in for educating kids, but don’t think campus authorities could have ever approved this. Imagine the backlash from parents, teachers, and some students. I am actually on the fence about this one: humour might be the best way for spreading awareness, but is it?,” posted Yadav on Linkedin. (Her post on Linkedin has started quite a discussion on whether Durex was right or wrong; the scales seemed to be weighted in favour of wrong place, at the time of writing.)

    So agency executives and brand managers, hope you will learn from this. It’s different strokes for different folks. (once again, pun intended). 

    (A big thank you to Arpita Yadav for the pictures as well. No copyright infringement is intended)

  • Durex launches close-fit invisible condom

    Durex launches close-fit invisible condom

    Mumbai: Durex, a condom brand, announced the launch of Durex Close Fit Invisible Condom, a close-fit thin condom. Durex Close Fit features an ultra-thin condom with a promise of snug fit, allowing couples to experience enhanced closeness and sensations without compromising on protection.

    Capturing the essence that a close fit makes all the difference, Durex Close Fit offers supreme comfort, allowing couples to feel more sensations and enjoy a satisfying experience that deepens both emotional and physical connection. As condom penetration in India lingers at just 9.5 per cent, Durex aims to tackle the barrier that condoms reduce sensations, pleasure, and intimacy. The latest first-of-its-kind innovation, Durex Close Fit provides consumers the perfect balance between increased pleasure and reliable protection.

    Speaking on the launch, Reckitt – South Asia, regional marketing director, health – Kanika Kalra said, “As a brand known for pushing boundaries, Durex is constantly innovating to meet the evolving needs of today’s modern and conscious consumers. With condom penetration in India at just 9.5 per cent, a key challenge remains the mental barrier that condoms dull sensation and intimacy. At Reckitt, we are committed to tackling this challenge and promoting wellbeing through innovative and new age solutions. Durex Close Fit is a game changer — offering a closer fit that redefines the sexual experience for couples, empowering them to enjoy pleasurable, intimate moments without compromising on protection.”

    Conceptualised by Havas Worldwide India, the campaign film focuses on that special snug feeling when something fits and contours around you perfectly and closely. In the unique Durex flair, the film employs an avant-garde storytelling style and technique to transport you to a tactile world where intimacy is heightened, and every sensation is viscerally felt. Using metaphors of swimming, athletics and dance the film establishes, that in matters of pleasure, ‘A close fit makes all the difference’.

    Havas Worldwide India joint MD & chief creative officer Anupama Ramaswamy said, “Durex as a brand has constantly maintained a distinct positioning around ‘intimacy’, drawing from its legacy of technology-led innovations. To highlight the innovation of Durex Close Fit Invisible, the film explores an impactful new narrative style pushing the boundary of storytelling and visualization to make an unforgettable film.”

    Durex as a brand has constantly maintained a distinct positioning around ‘intimacy’ and ‘performance’, drawing from its legacy of technology-led innovations, helping people feel good about themselves and their partners. In India, Durex has also been focused on raising awareness on sexual health and wellbeing with its purpose program- ‘The Birds and Bees Talk’.

    Durex Close Fit condoms are now available at retail stores across India and on leading e-commerce websites, priced at Rs 181 for a pack of three condoms and at Rs 599 for a pack of 10 condoms.

  • VML India’s Durex campaign foster safe spaces for gender identity conversations

    VML India’s Durex campaign foster safe spaces for gender identity conversations

    Mumbai: Marketing transformation company, VML, has conceptualized a unique campaign, ‘Rainbow Classrooms’, for Durex. VML’s approach aims to create a safe space for students in India to express their feelings and address gender identity issues that are often overlooked due to the lack of sex education in Indian schools.

    In India, students are often confused when it comes to conversations around gender identity. Home environments may not be welcoming to having open conversations on the topic, and educators do not always possess the necessary awareness or skills to address these subjects with sensitivity.

    VML and Durex worked with students, teachers, school body heads and government officials to create a course specifically focused on educating the educators on having these difficult conversations.

    We wanted to show them that they could be that safe space students were looking for. Those educators who completed our course were given a symbol outside their classroom – a rainbow door. Taking inspiration from the Pride Flag, the painted door serves as a symbol to students that they are entering a safe space where they can express themselves freely without fear of judgement or ridicule.

    VML India group creative director Rohan Kumar said, “The first step to getting students to talk about gender issues was to create a safe space. The next was to create a symbol. Once we identified teachers as the ambassadors for this initiative, everything fell into place quickly post that. The rainbow doors serve as powerful symbols of safety and inclusivity. It’s a privilege for us at VML to collaborate with Durex on this initiative and support educational institutions to promote belonging for all.”

    Reckitt, SOA, director of External Affairs & Partnership, SOA, Ravi Bhatnagar highlighted Reckitt’s commitment, “At Reckitt, we are dedicated to promoting inclusivity and providing continuous support to the communities we serve. The Rainbow Classrooms initiative is a testament to our ongoing efforts to create safe and supportive environments for students, not just during Pride Month but throughout the entire year. By fostering acceptance and understanding, we are empowering the next generation to embrace their identities and contribute to a more inclusive society.”

  • Amazon miniTV friendship day campaign creates buzz amongst brands

    Amazon miniTV friendship day campaign creates buzz amongst brands

    Mumbai: Amazon miniTV friendship day campaign #CaseTohBantaHai has marked a new milestone in creating content-led entertaining experiences for its audiences. Interestingly, brands across the vertical started participating in the campaign. 

    When the campaign was unveiled, the streaming service opened the floor to the audiences to put forth an Atrangi Ilzaam on their friends, which is the unifying theme of their tentpole comedy reality show Case Toh Banta Hai. 

    The 360-degree integrated campaign started with Twitterati making funny and outlandish accusations against their friends. Along with that, a barrage of relatable memes inspired by the show also started pouring in. 

    Soon enough, brands jumped onto this bandwagon and #CaseTohBantaHai took over the internet. Over twenty brands including Swiggy, Pizza Hut, Noise, Tinder, Durex, Domino’s Pizza, Baskin-Robbins, Shemaroo, Dunzo, Shaadi.com, Gold’s Gym, PharmEasy, Mad Over Donuts, and Cleartrip joined the digital jest. The brands used this opportunity to poke fun at their customers’ traits, thus leaving the digital-first generation in splits.

    Some of these hilarious ‘cases’ are given below:

    Domino’s

    Swiggy

    Tinder

    Durex

    Pizza Hut

    Baskin-Robbins

    This campaign also coincided with the “Case Toh Banta Hai Celeb 2.0” reveal, which announced a stellar line-up of celebrities who will appear on the show. Concurrently, the celebrities slated to appear on “Case Toh Banta Hai” turned the excitement up a notch higher. Abhishek Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Chunky Panday, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, and Pankaj Tripathi, amongst others, took to their social media to answer their summons to the katghara. These posts got people talking and amplified the buzz around #CaseTohBantaHai and also the anticipation for the show.

    “Case Toh Banta Hai,” a one-of-its-kind courtroom comedy reality show, features Riteish Deshmukh, Varun Sharma, and Kusha Kapila in the roles of Janta Ka Lawyer, Defense Lawyer, and Judge, respectively. Each week, a new celebrity appears on the show, facing hilarious accusations and having to defend themselves. Produced by Banijay Asia, Case Toh Banta Hai is the perfect blend of sketches, talk shows, and impromptu comedy. Viewers can enjoy new episodes every Friday for free, exclusively on Amazon miniTV, which you can find on Amazon’s shopping app and Fire TV.

  • Voot announces eight sponsors for ‘Bigg Boss OTT’

    Voot announces eight sponsors for ‘Bigg Boss OTT’

    Mumbai: Viacom18’s Voot on Thursday announced that it has brought on board eight sponsors for “Bigg Boss OTT”. After Swiggy and CoinDCX joined as ‘co-powered by’ sponsors, the OTT platform roped in Vimal Elaichi, MX TakaTak, Netmeds, H&M, Durex, and Lotus Herbal as sponsors.

    Vimal Elaichi has come on board as ‘presenting’ partner, MX TakaTak as ‘social media’ partner, H&M as ‘style’ partner, Netmeds as ‘pharmacy’ partner, Durex as ‘special’ partner, and Lotus Herbal as ‘beauty’ partner for the show.

    Voot has driven deeper brand integration for sponsors of the show. For example, the sponsor Vimal Elaichi will leverage the ‘Bigg Boss’ fandom to connect and interact with viewers through IPs like ‘Video Vichaar’ and ‘Extraa Masala’ giving the brand more exposure throughout the reality series, said the platform in a statement. “While ‘Video Vichaar’ will enable viewers to share thoughts and opinions around daily developments within the house, ‘Extraa Masala’ is a successful content around content IP that traditionally attracts hordes of fans who can’t keep away from the ‘Bigg Boss’ phenomena,” it added.

    “Bigg Boss has grown to become a celebrated proposition for brands to connect and engage with viewers. Given the multi-touchpoint offering, the interest the show generates is unlike any other,” said Viacom18 Digital Ventures’ chief operating officer, Gourav Rakshit. “The diverse brands that have come on board as sponsors, some of whom have joined the Bigg Boss family for the first time in this exciting edition, is testimony to the popularity of the show.”

    “We are delighted to come on board as the presenting partner of Bigg Boss OTT – a new, pioneering idea for an OTT platform in India. Vimal has always been associated with shows and IPs that have a large mass audience connect; testimony to that are our brand ambassadors Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan,” said Vimal Elaichi in a statement.

    “With this exciting partnership, we bring reality television to short videos as well! Bigg Boss OTT shows the real side of celebrities to its viewers while MX TakaTak offers a great platform and encourages users, creators, digital enthusiasts to showcase their real talent across different genres. The natural content synergies that both platforms drive make it a win-win for us and we believe this will make for a great content fit for our users,” said MX TakaTak, business head, Janhavi Parikh.

    With Karan Johar as the host and 13 contestants, the show launched on 8 August exclusively on the digital platform. The season premiere episode witnessed viewers tuning in from across India registering the highest numbers of subscriber tune-in for a ‘Bigg Boss’ opening to date, according to the OTT player.

    “Bigg Boss OTT” airs every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m and on weekends at 8 p.m exclusively on Voot. 

  • FMCG major RB rebrands as Reckitt

    FMCG major RB rebrands as Reckitt

    MUMBAI: British multinational consumer goods major Reckitt Benckiser has rebranded as Reckitt, dropping its previous ‘RB’ visual identity. 

    In a statement, Reckitt said the redevelopment of its corporate identity is a key milestone in the organisation’s ongoing journey of transformation towards sustainable growth. The new brand identity and iconography is more recognisable and is built on the company’s purpose — to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world, the Dettol maker added.

    Reckitt SVP corporate affairs & sustainability Miguel Veiga-Pestana said: “The brand is a visible symbol of our corporate purpose and the change that has been taking place across the business on our journey of transformation. The name reflects the existing widespread usage of Reckitt and is clearer, simpler and more memorable, while retaining positive associations with the company’s heritage.”

    From Dettol to Lysol, Nurofen to Durex and Finish to Vanish, Reckitt sells more than 20 million products every day. The new identity will better enable the FMCG giant to communicate its corporate purpose to the world in a way that is powerful, consistent and impactful, added VP internal communications & corporate brand Jo Osborn.

    The comprehensive rebrand, including a new visual identity, was created and overseen by Havas’ branding agency Conran Design Group. Rolling out across all of Reckitt’s touchpoints and platforms – internal and external, physical and digital, it comprises a new name and logo with an evolved colour palette. The company’s previous logo that included “RB" gives way to an “R" inside a coil-like ring, in a highly distinctive and recognisable ‘Energy Pink’ hue which is Reckitt’s primary brand colour. 

    The implementation of the new brand will be delivered over a three-year timeline, using the natural replacement cycles of the business to manage an impactful transition in a cost-effective way.

    http://www.reckitt.com/thisisreckitt

    Conran Design Group CEO Thom Newton said: “Reckitt has a compelling story to tell. The new Reckitt brand both reflects its 200-year history and provides an active expression of its purpose and ambition. The opportunity to work with the company to redevelop and launch the new brand was an opportunity we relished.”

    The present Reckitt Benckiser Group was formed after the merger of Reckitt and Benckiser in 1999. Independently, businesses of the two companies date back to the 1820s—or over 200-years ago.

    The move comes as Reckitt benefitted significantly from the pandemic-its home and personal cleaning brands such as Dettol and Harpic reported strong performance in India, gaining both market share and new household penetration.

  • Havas Group India announces senior management elevations

    Havas Group India announces senior management elevations

    Mumbai: Havas Group India has announced key elevations in its senior management team for Havas Media and Havas Creative. The elevations come as part of the group's overall growth strategy of identifying and acknowledging talent and leaders who have played a crucial role in the growth of the company.

    Erstwhile Havas Media managing partner — north and west Uday Mohan has been promoted to president — north and west. 

    Mohan has been with Havas Media for the last 13 years. He has been instrumental in building the Gurgaon operations of Havas Media Group into one of the largest operations in NCR. In spite a very difficult 2020, he was able to grow both the Gurgaon and Mumbai operations with key client acquisitions like ACC Cement, and most recently the esteemed Domino’s Pizza win.

    Havas Media national head buying R Venkatasabubramanian will now be president and national head investments. 

    Venkat has been associated with Havas Media Group for the last two years. He has been able to put Havas Media Group among the top media buyers in the country and built a very strong investment team across markets.

    Havas Creative managing partner – north Manas Lahiri has been elevated to president – north. 

    Lahiri has been with Havas for over two years and has astutely managed the turnaround of the Gurgaon Creative Operations in one of the most demanding and challenging markets. From stabilising the biggest relationship with Reckitt Benckiser which includes brands like Durex, Vanish, Harpic, Mortein, Veet to acquiring new clients like William Grant & Sons, Suzuki, Fortis, Norton, Hike, and finally Dabur Honey and many others, he has delivered exceptional results.

    Mohan and R Venkat will continue to report to Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi, and Lahiri will continue to report to  Havas Group India group CEO Rana Barua.  

    Rana Barua said “ I am excited to announce well deserved key elevations from our Havas Group Senior Leadership team, that will further accelerate growth and enhance the value proposition of our organisation and take the agency to greater heights. 2020 has been a challenging yet very satisfactory year for the agency in terms of clients, revenue, awards, and fame. I look forward to Uday, Manas and Venkat to soar higher and take us to even greater achievements and targets.” 

  • How brands are saying goodbye to 2020

    How brands are saying goodbye to 2020

    NEW DELHI: 2020 is probably the only year that the whole world was dying to bid adieu too. Inundated with crises from all sides on top of a global pandemic, when many a plan was cancelled and existence became a little lonelier for almost everyone, the year nonetheless made us realise the value of little joys in life. One of which was dear internet! Filled with content for our every mood, it kept us entertained via a number of stories, creatives, memes, and information. The brands, as usual, made it an interesting place to be at. And now as the year is ending, here’s how some brands are again displaying their quirky sides to say bye-bye! 

    Durex is strangely waiting for someone to come early

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Durex India (@durex.india)

     

    Domino’s thanking the best friend of the year for all – pizza

     

     

    Netflix vibing with the “dukh” of everyone

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

     

    Amazon Prime putting the good and the bad all together

     

     

    Zomato giving the best meme rewind

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by zomato (@zomatoin)

     

    Google showing what we searched for 

    And Swiggy giving hopes for 2021

     

     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

    A post shared by Swiggy (@swiggyindia)