Magnum Condoms Should Be Marketed Around Comfort
A contraceptive for the husky man
These are not “Lev’s Tasteful Ideas” or “Lev’s Safe-For-Work Ideas.”
No, these are Lev’s Good Ideas. In pursuit of that vision, I owe you all my best work.
Let’s begin.
Thin, ribbed, flavored or sensation-based; condoms have always been looking for that razzle-dazzle to disguise the fact that, as a product-use perspective, they are ostensibly worse-than-nothing.
And so, correctly, the product has moved to less tangible sales-points. Status, ease, and comfort are the selling points. Not just for the physical, but for the mental angle as well.
Those who use condoms are more likely to be younger; condom use goes down by age; therefore aligning with Gen-Z and Millennial marketing needs.
We’ve seen tremendous disruption in conversations for and marketing around sexuality; the color-palate has changed from the black-and-gold trademark of Magnum Condoms, and a more cooly neutral gender androgyny is prioritized.
In comparison, Magnum condoms skew male; black and gold, cold, and focused on size of the use (with an even more ludicrous Magnum XL product.)
Trojan-brand condoms have done well, including solid stock performance over the past five years. However, neither Don Draper nor I are satisfied with “well.”
My pitch: rebrand condoms for this new sexual generation, applying the tried-and-true best practices of the space with the strength of the iconic Trojan brand.
In other words: market condoms along those same Gen-Z sales principle. Pitch them as leisurewear for condoms and see who engages with the brand.
Sex is constantly disrupted as a marketplace; new principles come with new generations, new assumptions, practices and products.
We know Magnum Condoms were introduced in 1989, and the branding shows. And, crucially, the core concept—men wanting a larger, more comfortable-perceiving fit—remains.
If Magnum Condoms wants to not just survive but thrive, they need to at least consider disrupting their current “size matters” branding and focus on “comfort matters” to better meet the new priorities of their target audience.
They need to move through a traditionally masculine “size matters” pride-approach to one that is laid back, warm, and masculine-yet-fluid in conjunction with the gender attitudes of their target market.
And who better to meet that market need than our new brand ambassador, Pete Davidson?
Pete Davidson is renown for his, uh, energy. And we know he’s open to advertisements; hell, his SmartWater ads look like condom ads!
This is a strong, aligned play with a killer earned-media angle. This is basically celebrity gossip!
A short-term stunt with long-term value, Trojan should pay whatever price is on the outskirts of reasonable to make this happen.
And, if they do, perhaps a cut to the author could be prudent.