Brief:
- Skyn, the condom brand marketed by Lifestyles Healthcare, introduced a social media campaign aimed at people who are stuck indoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the hashtags #staythefhome and #staythef***home are shared on social media, Skyn is putting its own spin on the trend with a "Stay and F*** at home" message, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer.
- Skyn aims to support the social distancing recommendations of health officials by helping people to make their isolation more enjoyable. The campaign includes activations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and an ongoing "pleasure calendar" that will udpate daily over the next few weeks.
- "This initiative advocates for ways to make the best of the situation and reminds us that we can turn restrictive measures into something that brings us together," according to the brand. Skyn plans to publish social media content with additional messages like, "Coming is always safer than going," to reinforce the message of personal health and social distancing to prevent the spread of the illness, per its announcement.
Insight:
The COVID-19 pandemic presents a condom brand like Skyn with a quandary as health officials urge people to avoid close contact with others to suppress the illness' spread, as the global death toll climbs to 14,700. Skyn's racy messaging takes a somewhat contrarian tact in urging people to make the most of the quarantine by enjoying the time they spend indoors until government authorities lift restrictions on places where people gather, such as restaurants, bars, nightclubs and gyms.
By participating in online conversations about social distancing, the brand can reach an audience of younger adults who rely heavily on social media for interpersonal communications. Social media has seen a significant usage jump as people isolate themselves, leading to higher ad impression for marketers. Campaign impressions have jumped 22% on photo-sharing app Instagram and 27% on viral video app TikTok in Q1 from the prior quarter, per data from influencer agency Obviously cited by Campaign. However, the current pandemic requires brands to rethink their content strategy.
Skyn's campaign is consistent with themes of other adult-oriented brands like K-Y, the intimate lubricant made by Reckitt Benckiser. During its Valentine's Day effort last month, K-Y challenged women to share "resting pleasured face," or RPF, selfies on Instagram for a chance to be named "chief pleasure officer." The brand released a "pleasure service announcement" (PSA) video starring Ashley Iaconetti, who appeared on ABC's "The Bachelor."
