Latest News About Lifestyles Condoms & Products
REPRINT FROM MEN'S JOURNAL
THE BEST NEW TOOL: LATEX-FREE SEX.
MEN'S JOURNAL - August 1, 2008 - We normally don't get excited about condoms (ever), but LifeStyles' SKYN, which debuts in August, has us pretty excited for a few reasons. The condom is made from polyisoprene, a synthetic rubber less likely than latex to cause allergic reactions and supposedly more elastic, meaning it will conform better to a man's natural dimensions and allow for increased "heat transfer" - which should make it feel like your not wearing anything at all. Other condom companies have produced synthetic prophylactics before, but SKYN is the first non-latex condom to receive full FDA approval. -G.M.
MF PICK: THE ULTIMATE LOVE GLOVE
MEN'S FITNESS - August 1, 2008 - Finding a condom that fits and feels good is like having a sober one-night stand - one in a million. Now we can up the odds with the release of LifeStyles SKYN, a new, non-latex condom made from polyisoprene that's so comfortable to wear, you may forget you have anything on down there. In addition to being stretchier, softer and more conforming than latex or polyurethane, the condom also provides all the requisite protection against pregnancy, STDs and AIDS you need to stay safe in the bedroom. Now if only we could make the "awkward condom moment" a little less uncomfortable.
NOAH AND BARON TALK REAL MAN SH*T
LifeStyles® Condoms Taps Young Comedic Duo in a Series of Online Videos
That Bring Humor to Safe Sex Topics
NEW YORK, NY - April 7, 2008 - LifeStyles Condoms, one of the nation's leading condom brands, has released a series of online videos entitled "Noah and Baron Talk Real Man Sh*t," on LifeStyles.com featuring young stand up comedians Noah Starr and Baron Vaughn. The webisodes follow the duo's sexually themed antics as they road trip through Europe while delivering a message of safe sex and open communications.
The line of video shorts chronicles Noah and Baron's journey throughout the European continent. Noah and Baron's adventures include tasting flavored condoms in Amsterdam, chatting with girls in Stockholm about the best places to have sex, fighting over an attractive guide in Bratislava and in general see the comedians getting into situations most young men find humorous and relatable.
By projecting a relaxed demeanor, these men are actually leading by example-that sex is something that should be openly and freely discussed, and not a cause for embarrassment. A recent study of 10,000 college students completed by the University of Minnesota reveals that more than 70% of college students are sexually active, but 40% did not use condoms during intercourse. These statistics prove that there is still a communication barrier that needs to be broken with this age group and "Noah and Baron Talk Real Man Sh*t" speaks their language.
"The Noah and Baron videos embrace the idea that safe sex can be fun sex at the same time," says Carol Carrozza, VP of Marketing for LifeStyles Condoms. "Boys will be boys and girls will be girls, but safety and open lines of communication should always be a top priority."
The "Noah and Baron Talk Real Man Sh*t" webisodes are a component in LifeStyles' recently launched "What's Yours?" campaign, which aims to make an impact with 18-24 year olds by identifying with consumers across their distinctive styles and interests. The campaign's message is simple, but strongly stated. By asking "What's Yours?" LifeStyles' message communicates that they realize consumers have the power to live life any way they choose.
About Lifestyles
Based out of Red Bank, NJ, LifeStyles® was launched in 1985 as a consumer products subsidiary of Ansell Healthcare Limited, a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products with operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. With over 20 styles of condoms and an assortment of other pleasure products on the market, LifeStyles is one of the leading distributors of sexual health goods in the US and Canada. More information on LifeStyles can be found at www.lifestyles.com. For more information on Ansell and its other products, please visit www.ansell.com.
About Noah and Baron
Noah Starr is an actor and writer based in New York City. He appears regularly on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and has recently been featured on AMC, MSNBC, MTV, E!, and in the upcoming feature film Nail Polish. He can also be seen (and heard) in numerous commercial spots and PSAs. Noah performs improv comedy at venues all over New York. Noah has written for Disney, Paramount Pictures, McSweeney's, numerous ad campaigns, and of course, World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently working with Emmy Award-winning Catman and Mary Productions to create shows for Disney's Jetix Channel. Noah holds a BFA from the Boston University College of Fine Arts and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He hails from beautiful Camden, Maine.
Baron Vaughn is a graduate of Boston University's College of Fine Arts with a BFA in Acting. He appeared in Manhattan Theatre Club's "Drowning Crow" on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre and well as productions at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Huntington Theatre Company. He's also a member of the Civilians. He started doing Stand-Up in Boston and made the move to New York where he can be seen at various comedy clubs and alternative comedy venues. He's also appeared in numerous national commercials, was part of the American Eagle Campus Comedy Challenge, was part of the 2007 DC Comedy Festival, and was selected to perform at the prestigious 2006 HBO ComedyArts Festival in Aspen.
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Press Contact:
Katie Murphy
5W Public Relations
Tel: (212) 999-5585
kamurphy@5wpr.com
LIFESTYLES® CONDOMS UNVEILS "SEX MACHINE"
The LifeStyles Makeout Booth, a First-of-a-Kind Combination
Photo Booth and Condom Dispenser, to Hit Nightclubs and Bars Nationwide
NEW YORK, NY - January 1, 2008 - LifeStyles®, one of the nation's leading condom brands, is unveiling a signature photo booth in nightclubs and bars nationwide. The LifeStyles® "Makeout Booth" is a condom-dispensing photo booth that offers a strip of condoms with each strip of photos printed out.
The first of its kind, the LifeStyles® Condoms Makeout Booth will debut at the Escape Mansion during the Sundance Film Festival (January 17-22) in Park City, Utah. Following the events, LifeStyles will launch a national campaign, bringing its Makeout Booth to nightlife venues across the country.
The objective is to align with the "What's Yours?" campaign, the latest LifeStyles advertising initiative, targeting the 18-24 leading edge demographic. As part of the campaign, "What's Yours?" creative is currently featured in nightclubs and bars throughout New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC and San Antonio. As the campaign expands nationally, the Makeout Booth has become a natural fit.
"Condom-dispensing machines have always been a nightlife fixture," said Carol Carrozza, VP of Marketing for Ansell Healthcare Products LLC, the U.S. Operations of the makers of LifeStyles® Condoms. "LifeStyles is essentially combining the concept of a condom dispenser with a black & white photo booth as a playful means to promote safe sex. The photos and condoms both come in 'strips' - which provides a nice visual motif for us as well."
The signature LifeStyles® Condoms Makeout Booth was created by PhotoWorks Interactive, designed by Martin Design Studios, and is owned and operated by LifeStyles. Parties interested in adding the LifeStyles Makeout Booth to their venue or transforming an existing booth can log onto www.LifeStyles.com for more information.
About LifeStyles®
LifeStyles is a consumer products division of Ansell Healthcare Products LLC, a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products with operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Ansell Healthcare Products LLC is a U.S. based subsidiary of Ansell Limited. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at http://www.ansell.com
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"WHAT'S YOURS?"
LifeStyles® Brand Condoms Launches New Ad Campaign Showcasing
Individuality of Extensive Condom Line
NEW YORK, NY - December 10, 2007 - LifeStyles, one of the nation's leading condom brands, will unleash a new advertising campaign today designed to connect with a more diverse and edgier audience. In contrast to previous campaigns, the latest ads are directed at a more targeted demographic, focusing on the highly desired demographic of 18-24 year-old consumers.
Titled "What's Yours?," the new campaign aims to make an impact with this influential set by identifying with consumers across their distinctive backgrounds, styles and interests. The campaign's message is simple, but strongly stated. By asking, "What's Yours?," LifeStyles' message communicates that they realize consumers have the power to live life any way they choose. By showcasing an extensive selection of condoms made to fit a consumer's specific style, they are a brand that understands a variety of preferences and needs
The eye-catching creative features dynamic women, engaged in activities reflecting their individual personalities. From a "surfer chick" emerging from the water with surfboard in hand, posing the question "what's your lifestyle?: WET," to an image of your typical "girl next door"-complete with braided pig tails and a come hither innocence in her eyes- inquiring "what's your lifestyle?: BUCK WILD," these fantasy-inspiring ads feature the choices of LifeStyles Condoms that best appeal to the user's individuality.
Generally viewed by the public as a brand having a demographic that skews older than the 18-24 crowd, LifeStyles has positioned the "What's Yours?" campaign to create new perceptions of the brand that will drive more people to engage with and seek out LifeStyles Condoms. And while in the world of sexual safety, consumers are not easily persuaded to switch condom brands, an informal study showed LifeStyles as a trusted producer of quality products.
"Consumers are more than just statistics to us at LifeStyles," said Carol Carrozza, VP of Marketing for Ansell Healthcare, the parent company of LifeStyles Condoms. "Our ears always to the ground when it comes the ever-changing needs of the public and by literally asking 'What's Yours?," we want purchasers of LifeStyles products to feel that they have an open dialogue with our brand-that there are a customized line of condoms made just for them."
A recent study of 10,000 college students completed by the University of Minnesota reveals that more than 70% of college students are sexually active, but 40% did not use condoms during intercourse. "The new LifeStyles campaign is geared to those who are at risk, embracing the idea that condoms can be safe and sensitive at the same time," says Carrozza.
The creative campaign, conceived by AMP Agency, a division of Alloy Media + Marketing (nasdaq: ALOY), will be introduced through a variety of grassroots marketing initiatives, all directed by AMP Agency. The campaign will drive awareness through night-life based promotions, including the use of proprietary Alloy in-bar media network across venues in the following major markets; New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC and San Antonio-areas, with plans to roll out nationally in 2008. More information on the LifeStyles "What's Yours?" campaign can be found at www.getlifestyles.com.
About Lifestyles
LifeStyles Condoms is a consumer products division of Ansell Healthcare LLC, a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products with operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Information on Ansell and its products can be found at http://www.ansell.com
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Press Contact:
Katie Murphy
5W Public Relations
Tel: (212) 999-5585
kamurphy@5wpr.com
HEALTH DEPARTMENT RELEASES NEW NYC CONDOM WRAPPER
More Than 36 Million Condoms Given Out Last Year
New TV, Radio and Print Campaign Launched
NEW YORK, NY - February 13, 2007 - Staying safe in New York City just got even sexier. The Health Department, in conjunction with LifeStyles Condoms, today unveiled a brand new look for the NYC Condom and launched a cutting-edge media campaign to encourage New Yorkers to "get some." Tomorrow, Street teams met commuters at busy crossroads around the city - including Union Square in Manhattan, the Atlantic Avenue station in Brooklyn, and 149th Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx - to hand out the new NYC Condom for Valentine's Day.
The NYC Condom's new look includes a fresh package design and an elegant new dispenser, which will debut in 200 New York City venues in coming weeks. Both were gifts to New York City from designer Yves Behar, founder of the San Francisco-based design agency, fuseproject. Behar's clients include One Laptop Per Child, Johnson and Johnson, Jawbone and Herman Miller. "Good design can help bring condoms out of the closet," said Behar. "The brand's friendly design and dispenser's approachable shape convey openness and acceptance. They say condoms are nothing to be embarrassed about."
The new ads, set to hip hop, jazz and Latin beats, feature images of New Yorkers set against boldly colored cityscapes. They will air in English and Spanish on cable and broadcast TV as well as radio. Display ads are also appearing in more than 1,000 subway cars citywide, as well as on phone kiosks and in check cashing outlets. The ads are available online at www.nyc.gov/condoms.
"The NYC Condom has shown us what a sexy brand can do for safer sex," said Dr. Monica Sweeney, the Health Department's Assistant Commissioner for HIV Prevention and Control. "We gave out more than 36 million of them last year. I hope the fresh look will help even more New Yorkers protect themselves from infection and unplanned pregnancy in 2008."
In the year since the NYC Condom was introduced last year on Valentine's Day, the Health Department has distributed more than 36 million condoms - an average of 3 million every month. That's twice the number given out annually before the City launched its own brand and seven times the number given out annually a few years ago. Some 900 local businesses, clinics, and non-profit organizations now distribute them free-of-charge.
Despite its new packaging, the NYC Condom itself hasn't changed. The distinctive new wrapper contains the same lubricated LifeStyles latex condom that rode in last year's subway-themed package.
"New York City is the biggest city in the world and we aim to make it the safest," said Carol Carrozza, VP of Marketing for Ansell Healthcare, maker of LifeStyles Condoms. "An average of almost five NYC Condoms were distributed for every one person in the metro area. LifeStyles has always been one of the most trusted brands in the business and we're proud that we are the condom that New Yorkers choose time and again."
Any New York City establishment - whether it's a health club, coffee house, bar, barbershop or clothing store - can order NYC Condoms in bulk by calling 311 or visiting www.nyc.gov/condoms. The Health Department will deliver free NYC Condoms as needed to meet demand. Telephone and online orders are for organizations only. But individual New Yorkers can call 311 or visit the website for updated information on where to find NYC Condoms - and how to get the most out of them. Here are some highlights:
When used correctly, condoms prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as unintended pregnancy
- Use a new condom before each sex act
- Put the condom on when the penis is erect, before sexual contact occurs. Unroll it all the way down.
- Leave a half-inch at the tip to collect semen. Squeeze out any extra air.
- If you put on a condom the wrong way by mistake, just throw it away and use a new one
- After sex, pull out before the penis softens. Hold the base of the condom to make sure it doesn't spill.
- Throw the condom away.
Condoms should always be stored at room temperature, and latex condoms should be protected from prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures, moisture, direct sunlight and fluorescent light. Don't carry condoms in your wallet or car for too long - this can make them break easily. Street teams will be handing out NYC Condoms between 8-10 AM and 5-7 PM on Valentine's Day, unless otherwise noted:
- 59th Street- Columbus Circle
- 42nd Street- Grand Central
- 42nd Street- Times Square
- Penn Station (morning only)
- 14th Street- Union Square
- Brooklyn Bridge- City Hall
- Wall Street and Broadway (evening hours are 4-6 PM)
- Fulton and Nassau Streets (evening hours are 4-6 PM)
- Whitehall Street- South Ferry
- 125th Street, by the Apollo Theater
- 149th Street & Grand Concourse- Bronx
- Queensboro Plaza- Queens
- Atlantic Avenue Station- Brooklyn (morning only)
- Borough Hall/ Court Street- Brooklyn
About Lifestyles
LifeStyles Condoms is a consumer products division of Ansell Healthcare LLC, a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products with operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Information on LifeStyles Condoms can be found at www.lifestyles.com. For more information on Ansell and its other products, please visit www.ansell.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
For NYC DOH
(212) 788-5290; (212) 788-3058 (After Hours)
Jessica Scaperotti: jscapero@health.nyc.gov
Sara Markt: smarkt@health.nyc.gov
Celina DeLeon: cdeleon@health.nyc.gov
For LifeStyles Condoms:
(212) 999-5585
Katie Murphy: kamurphy@5wpr.com
A Rising Market For Condoms?
Laurie Burkitt, 03.23.09, 01:14 PM EST
Two new ad campaigns for Trojan and LifeStyles try to add some life to limp sales.
At least something is starting to rise in the recession.
In a push for what might broadly be called home entertainment, Trojan and LifeStyles have just released new ad campaigns on television. Clearly they're attempts to jump-start what is, perhaps surprisingly, a slow-growing business--just 1% to 2%, on average, each year to $600 million industry wide. For whatever reasons, those sales suddenly spiked 5% in the fourth quarter of 2008.
The two prophylactic companies take very different tacks in their ads. Church & Dwight Co. (nyse: CHD - news - people )--maker of Arm & Hammer products, Brillo pads and Nair hair removal, as well as Trojan--relies on not-so-subtle punning and patriotism in an ad that went up on March 20. "We should ride out these hard times together," intones a voice and a bald eagle in front of an American flag. "We're offering our own stimulus package."
The Princeton, N.J., company's 15-second spot is running on MTV, Spike, Adult Swim and ESPN, and was created by its standby agency, Kaplan Thaler Group, as a teaser for new ads that will be rolling out in the second quarter. The $2.4 billion (2008 sales) Church & Dwight won't say how much it's spending on the new ads, though its total marketing budget last year amounted to $294 million.
Publicly held Ansell Healthcare Products, the Red Bank, N.J., parent of LifeStyles, is a lot more forthcoming--in many respects. Its 30-second commercial features quick cameos of young and attractive couples, tearing each others' clothes off, knocking one another against a wall or onto the floor to the loud thump of pumping music. Ansell's $5 million ad launches Monday on TV (and on radio)--heading straight for the 18- to 24-year-olds who are watching late-night shows like MTV's Pimp My Ride and checking out March Madness scores on ESPN.com.
"We wanted to say, 'Hey, we know what you use condoms for,'" says Carol Carrozza, Ansell's vice president of marketing. It's laughable, she says, that most networks have no problem using sex to sell alcohol and aftershave, but not sex. "Why can't we be on network prime-time TV?" asks Jim Daniels, vice president of marketing at Trojan. "You can see herpes and birth control [advertising] but no condoms."
Over the years some nets have taken condom commercials, though they all insist on editorial control. In 1991 Fox started accepting ads during non-prime- time hours. CBS (nyse: CBS - news - people ) followed in 1998; NBC in 1999. Still, major broadcasters are very picky. Fox and CBS rejected Trojan's last big campaign in 2007--the memorable spot focused on women in a bar surrounded by pigs that turned into charming (and suggestively successful) princes after buying condoms from vending machines.
"The issue here is that there is one standard protocol for reviewing ads," says Gary Belis, director of communications for the Television Bureau of Advertising. "Each station here has to decide what's right for its viewers."
Never mind the persistent problems of sexually transmitted diseases. While HIV infections are down, 1.1 million Americans still live with the virus that causes AIDS. The rates for both STDs and for teen pregnancies are up.
Purveyors of prophylactics once tried a higher-minded route, underscoring the dangers of unsafe sex--and still couldn't make it to the vast audiences of prime time. Hard to blame them for trying a different, if slightly raunchier, approach.
March 25, 2009 - Condoms Rising
If only these had been around for your extremely sensitive, focused-on-the-perfect-moment college boyfriend, then everyone would have been happy.
LifeStyles is set to unveil its newest model this month- the latex-free, microscopically thin LifeStyles SKYN condom that, according to trial users (how does one get that gig, by the way?), one can barely even feel. On top of the product's material distinction amongst its competitors, the SKYN ad campaign will take on a different and, ahem, deeper approach, packing some major cajones with a voyeuristic montage romp of hot bodies getting it on.
As condom sales take on an inverse growth relationship with the sinking economy, with sales inexplicably up 5% towards the end of 2008 (virtually free fun with a small margin for error is my hypothesis), the ads look to satisfy the increasing demand, based on the premise that the new SKYN bad boys come as close as a condom can to feeling like, well, nothing. Throw in a woman being flipped over a bed in underwear uncannily close to her skin tone and I imagine LifeStyles will have men and lots of women hooked.
Bucking the tradition of humor-based condom advertising, the SKYN campaign takes a leap of faith in predicting their consumer base might actually have the maturity level to base their sexual decisions on messages relating to the actual act, rather than farm animals, cartoon characters and narratives that skirt the issue. At the very least I'd think women would hope for that in the men whom they choose to sleep with, although the talking heads on certain cable news channels will undoubtedly disagree. Then again, that doesn't surprise me, but I digress.
With numbers showing us that people are having more safe sex, and hopefully just more sex in general, it seems like the perfect time to take a truly intelligent, honest look at what's really going on out there. Set the DVRs for the View once the ads run and let the debates begin! Or, just go have some (safe) fun.
