Put your money where your mouth is! – Comedy Condoms ‘Cover me, I’m going in’

Comedy Condoms is the first in South Africa, or even further, to initiate an interesting, creative but EFFECTIVE strategy to combat the stigma surrounding condom usage and so actively join the awareness battle to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS , other sexually transmitted diseases and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

This unique use of condoms is twofold:

1. Promote the use of condoms and create an increased ‘condom awareness’ by making it a talked about and publicized subject

2. Promote 'safe sex' and the business sectors' CSI commitment in this regard by offering a platform where their commitment can literally be advertised.

An advertising medium that places brands (and their view on safe sex) in places beyond their wildest dreams, at a fraction of the price of conventional advertising. With a reach that is second to none.

To achieve the above and do away with the condom usage stigma, Comedy Condoms will engage in a Condom Distribution Campaign via branded condom packaging and branded state-of-the-art condom vending machines. Condom Vending machines are old news, however, strategically placing them in easily accessible and highly visible public 'high-risk' areas with branded condom pack packaging and machines , is not.

Each condom package, whether it is 'single' or a pack of 3, 6 or 10 offers the business sector an opportunity to 'put their money where their mouth is'. Where advertisers' CSI commitment is visibly enforced. Every condom/pack sold from the vending machines has a joke, insinuation or tongue-in-cheek comment on the packaging to strengthen their corporate image. Literally putting their name to the ONLY proven tool to prevent HIV/AIDS and STD's - giving the buyer a laugh and making the discomfort of buying condoms due to stigmatization, a thing of the past. Also, making the often uncomfortable 'wear a condom please' conversation, easier to address. The Comedy Condoms available for sale are flavoured, coloured Carex condoms and as such, are CE, ISO and SABS approved. Quality of a world standard which a much larger portion of the SA market subscribes to. SA has a clouded history in condom use as the 'free' condoms distributed are generally viewed as substandard. Going 'bare-back' is seen as taking the same risk as using the 'free' condoms, only much more satisfying.

The Comedy Condoms Condom Distribution campaign elevates the new way of advertising and publicising CSI commitment in South Africa. As popularity rises, as it has in the last 5 years more and more vending machines will be made available and Comedy Condoms vending machines will be accessible all over South Africa to advertisers and the general public. Since 2013 there have been celebrities that have seen the benefit of advertising their stance on 'safe sex' on condoms such as Daft Punk, JLS, Kiss, Ke$ha, Madonna, to name a few

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/11/celebrity...

Comedy Condoms however, stretches this idealogy and extends it to involve corporates to initiate behaviour change -The cornerstone of prevention strategies.

The $220 000 goal is to initially place 50 State-of-the-art Condom Vending machines in the Cape Town area by January 2017 and increase to at least 400 machines by 2020 around South Africa.

This cost includes purchasing and importing the vending machines, marketing the advertising opportunity, placement of the machines and stocking and operating 50 machines to develop this Condom Distribution campaign to its full potential.

These condom vending machines have:

* 6 columns for different product selections

* A payment system comprising of Bill acceptor and credit card reader

* LCD advertising screen

* Motion sensor activated sound effect system

We understand and agree that CSI isn't just about doing the right thing. It means behaving responsibly, and also dealing with suppliers who do the same. We have established good relationships with suppliers and have been testing the popularity of this endeavour since 2009. The same Comedy Condoms that was scolded, frowned upon or even banned from being sold in some places , is now fast becoming more accepted, openly talked about and even invited to advertise.

Comedy Condoms as a CSI initiative offers direct business benefits. As stated in the report ‘ Business sector can play key role in the AIDS response in Africa 06 April 2011’ ( http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/presscentre/fea...)Participants agreed that, to become full partners in the AIDS response, businesses need to engage in high level advocacy.

Comedy Condoms' unique ability to advertise AND distribute different brands’ commitment to making responsible sexual choices (& encouraging condom use), is unsurpassed, in creating and so increasing the availability of condoms to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, STD’s and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

There is of course not only the CSI initiative that will benefit from the Comedy Condoms advertising platform, but also the existing market for Adult/sex products and brands as this ia a constant stream of advertising clientele. This stream is lucrative as it enables advertising of relevant products, services, events or businesses to exactly the right market at the right time in the right location. Priceless.

To date Comedy Condoms has had an interesting, yet very successful track record of an increase in public demand for Comedy Condoms, that makes us an inevitable partner in the CSI market. Increasingly so since the start of 2016. Making the need for funding for this campaign even more urgent.