Condom or Denim for Durex shortlisted at WARC Awards 2018 for Effective Social Strategy

Reckitt Benckiser India’s Condom or Denim? campaign for Durex Jeans done by Havas Worldwide India is among the 20 campaigns that have been shortlisted for the WARC Awards' Effective Social category – a search for marketing initiatives that link social strategy to business success.

In March 2017, when Durex came out with a teaser starring Ranveer Singh about launching jeans, everybody was taken by surprise. Questions like why a condom brand would venture into the apparels category started doing the rounds of the internet, spurring discussions and debates.

While some mocked the idea, others said it was a marketing stunt. To the brand’s credit, they did not slip up and kept up the “launching jeans” charade even when doubts were raised about the campaign being genuine.

Finally, the brand unveiled Durex Jeans – the ‘new age’ condom from the brand. Targeted for youngsters and first-timers in the age group of 18-25 years, the product came in a pack of two and was apparently packed in ‘world’s slimmest pocket pack’, making it easier for people to carry them around in their jeans or pant pockets and hence the name ‘Durex Jeans’.

A jury panel of 15 industry experts from both agency and client-side chaired by Elizabeth Windram, Director, Brand and Advertising, JetBlue Airways, has shortlisted campaigns covering a broad range of brands and categories from around the world – Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Middle East, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.

The shortlisted entries are:

• Crossing The Line · Fleggaard · UncleGrey · Denmark
• #HUNGEREPLY · Snickers · Mars · BBDO Japan · Japan
• Finding the Female Gaze in Fart Jokes · Gas-X · GSK · Weber Shandwick NY · United States
• Office Souvenirs · JetBlue · MullenLowe US · United States
• Little Tickets · JetBlue · MullenLowe US · MullenLowe Group · United States
• #InMyFamilyWeSay · Hépar · Nestlé Waters · Marcel · France
• Condom or Denim? · Durex Jeans · Reckitt Benckiser · Havas Worldwide India · India
• Time With Mum · Road Safety Commission · 303 MullenLowe · Australia
• Nudging people out of compassion fatigue and into action · UNICEF · Bohemia Group · Australia
• Full-heart support during Gaokao · McDonald's · BBDO China · China
• Ole Ole Hour! · KFC · QSR Stores Sdn Bhd · Ensemble Worldwide, UM Malaysia · Malaysia
• Like my addiction · Addict'Aide · BETC · France
• Justice Bao and The Missing Travel Insurance · Singapore Tourism Board · TBWA\Singapore · Singapore
• Play Everything · PlayStation · Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore · TBWA\Singapore · Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
• Positive · Pampers · Procter & Gamble · Leo Burnett Vietnam, Saatchi & Saatchi Vietnam, MSL Group Vietnam · Vietnam
• It's not cricket, it's the ashes · BT Sport · BT · AMVBBDO · United Kingdom
• GeoStories: How Instagram turned millennials onto geology · Geological Survey of Canada History Committee · McMillan · Canada
• For the sake of M&M's, do not watch Game of Thrones! · M&M's · Mars · ALMAP BBDO · Brazil
• Not another Tide ad. But probably, the dullest content in history for the least active kids in history · OMO · Unilever · FP7/DXB · Middle East
• Futbot · Beko · Arçelik · FP7/McCann Istanbul · Turkey

The annual WARC Awards is a global search for next-generation marketing effectiveness. The final shortlist, Effective Content Strategy, will be announced next week. The shortlisted case studies in the Effective Innovation and Effective Use of Brand Purpose categories have already been announced.

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