IMPULSE | ART SCHOOL | 1998
This Is a Condom Ad / IMPULSE "ART SCHOOL"
A nude model at an art school "reacts" when a woman arrives late to class. The awkwardness of the moment gets expressed through the objects around them, used as metaphors. This was a body spray commercial that aired on British television in 1998.
The insight
Copywriter Justin Hooper has recalled that "the client was extremely nervous about the script." The agency's planning director reportedly even wrote the client a letter saying this spot shouldn't be made. But in research it scored the highest ever recorded for Unilever, and it ended up getting the green light.
The idea
The nude model's "physical reaction" was expressed visually through camera work and the props around him, like a tower rising and a fountain spraying. It's a technique that wraps something it never shows directly in humor.
What happened
It won Gold. In the copywriter's own words, it "became famous from Britain to Australia and won every major award."
Afterthought
The client and agency faced the risk head-on and pushed the idea through, and it ended up being celebrated around the world. A round of applause for that courage. The detailed background of the project couldn't be confirmed, but watching the footage, you can feel something comes through anyway. That, too, is the strength of a good creative idea.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 1998
