Gambling, CBD, Crypto, gaming, hard liquor. All those branding opportunities that were once off-limits for the sports and entertainment media world are now OK and the categories for most (CBD is still dealing with legal state by state regulations) are more robust than ever. And of course let’s not forget about the millions spent on ED medications that appear during every football and basketball game, as well as golf and tennis, on every screen we have.
Vice is nice for spending. Or at least what used to be vice.
So it was interesting to learn about the latest foray into the consumer space for condoms, outlined by Terry Lefton in his SBJ Marketing newsletter this week. The push is with the UFC, in a pretty creative and very subtle way… in yet another creative category…UFC’s official sexual health partner.
“It’s a branded stand in locker rooms on which UFC fighters will have their hands wrapped. The new asset is being called a “Wrapping Station” and, since it connotes protection, it’s one of the principal assets in Trojan condoms’ multiyear, low-seven-figure per annum renewal and expansion of a sponsorship that began in 2020. Previously, MMA combatants would have their hands taped on something as unceremonious as the top of a folding chair.
The Trojan-branded wrapping station, which will debut with this weekend’s UFC 273 in Jacksonville, will be integrated within a “Locker Room Cam” feature. Trojan branding will be featured at the “Prep Point,” where fighters have safety checks before getting in the ring. “Safety and health are our biggest concerns and it’s their leading message,” said UFC Senior VP/Global Partnerships Paul Asencio, adding that Trojan will be using some fighters as brand ambassadors.“
Why, in a world where STD’s and education are so important, has the space been slow to be filled.
On the broadcast side, the options are still limited, but there were a few Trojan condom ads that ran in regional markets after 10 pm (ads are still only allowed after 10 pm and before six am on broadcast TV, as this is out of the Standards and Practices window the FCC has set up when it is thought less people under the age of 17 would be watching) during the NBA Finals two years ago. They were quick, and little was written about them (can’t even find a link) but they were there. Trojan has also done viral campaigns around blocked shots during March Madness for several years, and other brands have done late night and pay per view spends around boxing and MMA for years.
However for mainstream awareness in the U.S., partnerships are almost nil thus far, which is a bit of a head scratcher.
Now for PRIDE Festivals the street activation Trojan for one is both funny and over the top for mainstream, rolling out their #PrideinMine cone campaign, but it does draw eyeballs and enforces what the brand is about. It certainly would not fly in some geographic areas, and probably won’t make it on to many wide screens in news, but the ability to reach a wide social audience should make it an interesting play.
Now condom and safe sex awareness always seems to rise and be OK around the Olympics for some reason, and every two years companies pitch stories on size, color and use of condoms for safe sex during the games. But for the impact mainstream sports can have? Not much yet.
Will athletes with their own platforms look to be more engaged in telling positive stories around prevention of STD’s and unwanted pregnancy? The pharma companies certainly have the dollars to spend and activate. However the stigma, even if it is not there for CBD or for liquor, or heck even for Cialis or Viagra, is still there for the condom industry.
One way the category can continue to open is through streaming. As we saw more leagues carving out streaming partners, those ads can be targeted direct to key consumers. Hulu already has custom ads for Phexxi, a womens birth control brand, that is both funny and direct, but certainly may not play oput well in conservative households, especially since it runs any time of day on the streaming service. Could we see more borth control related campaigns targeted say, to NFL audiences through Amazon, in the future? Regulators may have something to say, as will the leagues, who are very wary of the social pushback that they can receive…
How soon will that change? Hard to say. However cause marketing continues to grow in stature and value, but the condom industry remains limited in scope of traditional voice. Some changes, even with good reason, are still slow, but then again so were other off-limits areas just a few months ago.
Another disruptive area to watch as the social sphere, and the cause side with athlete’s voices, keep rising.
