Elmwood

Durex
Helping the brand to stay on top

Where do you go when you’re already no.1? Elmwood, of course. We helped Durex create a platform for business growth, adding £19m to £217m sales and grabbing 35% more market share. In two years, we also helped them create a new market sector worth £40m by adding new ranges.

Try a new position(ing) First, we helped Durex with their brand strategy, shifting their focus from ‘safe sex’ to ‘better sex’, and redefining them as the experts in sexual wellbeing, rather than mere protection. The next step was to update their logo to reflect that. Warmer, softer, less masculine We redrew the mark, softening the letters, introducing a vignette to make it more gender-neutral and ‘plugging the hole’ under the X.

Leap off the shelf The condom packs were the first items we updated, with a brief to increase standout and visibility. We improved the benefit communication, making the range easy to shop. Bigger, brighter, better We introduced a subtle circular holding device that acted as a visual distraction, making Durex the first products a consumer saw on shelf. It also meant we could increase the size and prominence of the logo. We worked with the Durex print and production team to ensure global consistency, with punchier colours and tightened cellophane wrapping. No wrinkles here, please!

A smart brand book We wrote and designed a book explaining the thinking behind the new business vision, brand positioning and identity, as well as the details of how to use it.

Sweet talking We also worked on the tone of voice. The personality of ‘knowledgeable friend’ needed warm, non-judgemental and intelligent language. We trained the Durex team to use it at our Wordplay© sessions and oversaw translation in local markets.

Wait, there’s more
Sexual wellbeing is about more than safe sex. Durex were already selling vibes and basic lubes, so we developed the Durex Play proposition, to help people explore their sexuality. Now you can now get cock rings in Tesco!