Trojan Brand Condoms has been looking to connect with younger audiences by presenting itself as more than a contraception maker. and more recently, the brand has been positioning itself as a sexual health educator. With that in mind, today, Trojan relaunched its signature Trojan Man campaign by revising the character as a sex guru, ready to explore all aspects of sexuality and offer advice.
In a statement, Trojan vice president of marketing, Bruce Weiss said, “Since his introduction over 20 years ago, Trojan Man became famous as this interruptive, gloved hand who showed up with the goods when you really needed him. This led us to ask, who is the man beyond the sleeve? Turns out he’s a sex-positive, sensual adventurer. A modern guy who is open to anything, but always has an eye on protection and shares his knowledge and humor to inspire others.”
The character has come a long way since its initial introduction as a superhero’s gloved hand 20 years ago. In fact, the character has never had a face associated with it until now. Where the original Trojan Man campaign relied upon an interjecting hypermasculine voiceover that very simply offered a product to solve intimate issues various commercial couples—the new Trojan Man is portrayed as an open-minded, calm guru offering advice. He now acts as a guide in this “Big Sexy World,” dispensing wisdom from his mountaintop base.
Trojan Man’s return could mark a new era for the company as it engages with millennials in the era of Tinder. The digital campaign launched with a series of YouTube videos, where characters approach Trojan Man with sexual questions and are given humorous advice while being encouraged to practice safe sex at the same time.
The accompanying social campaign introduces the revised character to the world. Instagram posts include quick quotes from the guru, including “A confident explorer is a prepared explorer. Think about it.” The social campaign also highlights different aspects of Trojan Man’s lifestyle, including his gong, xylophone, golden robe and others.
According to the press release, the campaign “comes at a time when the world truly needs an advocate for safe and pleasurable sexual exploration.” Following this theme, Trojan Man is presented as the embodiment of modern sex, which rejects labels and stereotypes while embracing sexual curiosity.
Some other recent educational initiatives from Trojan include partnering with the Advocates for Youth nonprofit group in for the “Consent. Ask For It.” campaign that seeks to educate sexually active college students about the facts of sexual assault by normalizing conversations about it. The brand has also sought to remove the social stigma related to safe sex by marketing its products to women who might feel uncomfortable purchasing condoms, and it has actively supported the LGBTQ community.
