HEALTH DEPARTMENT RELEASES NEW NYC CONDOM WRAPPER
More Than 36 Million Condoms Give Out Last Year
New TV, Radio and Print Campaign Launched
NEW YORK CITY - February 13, 2007 - Staying safe in New York City just got even sexier. The Health Department, in conjunction with LifeStyles Condoms, today unveiled a brand new look for the NYC Condom and launched a cutting-edge media campaign to encourage New Yorkers to "get some." Tomorrow, Street teams met commuters at busy crossroads around the city - including Union Square in Manhattan, the Atlantic Avenue station in Brooklyn, and 149th Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx - to hand out the new NYC Condom for Valentine's Day.
The NYC Condom's new look includes a fresh package design and an elegant new dispenser, which will debut in 200 New York City venues in coming weeks. Both were gifts to New York City from designer Yves Behar, founder of the San Francisco-based design agency, fuseproject. Behar's clients include One Laptop Per Child, Johnson and Johnson, Jawbone and Herman Miller. "Good design can help bring condoms out of the closet," said Behar. "The brand's friendly design and dispenser's approachable shape convey openness and acceptance. They say condoms are nothing to be embarrassed about."
The new ads, set to hip hop, jazz and Latin beats, feature images of New Yorkers set against boldly colored cityscapes. They will air in English and Spanish on cable and broadcast TV as well as radio. Display ads are also appearing in more than 1,000 subway cars citywide, as well as on phone kiosks and in check cashing outlets. The ads are available online at www.nyc.gov/condoms.
"The NYC Condom has shown us what a sexy brand can do for safer sex," said Dr. Monica Sweeney, the Health Department's Assistant Commissioner for HIV Prevention and Control. "We gave out more than 36 million of them last year. I hope the fresh look will help even more New Yorkers protect themselves from infection and unplanned pregnancy in 2008."
In the year since the NYC Condom was introduced last year on Valentine's Day, the Health Department has distributed more than 36 million condoms - an average of 3 million every month. That's twice the number given out annually before the City launched its own brand and seven times the number given out annually a few years ago. Some 900 local businesses, clinics, and non-profit organizations now distribute them free-of-charge.
Despite its new packaging, the NYC Condom itself hasn't changed. The distinctive new wrapper contains the same lubricated LifeStyles latex condom that rode in last year's subway-themed package.
"New York City is the biggest city in the world and we aim to make it the safest," said Carol Carrozza, VP of Marketing for Ansell Healthcare, maker of LifeStyles Condoms. "An average of almost five NYC Condoms were distributed for every one person in the metro area. LifeStyles has always been one of the most trusted brands in the business and we're proud that we are the condom that New Yorkers choose time and again."
Any New York City establishment - whether it's a health club, coffee house, bar, barbershop or clothing store - can order NYC Condoms in bulk by calling 311 or visiting www.nyc.gov/condoms. The Health Department will deliver free NYC Condoms as needed to meet demand. Telephone and online orders are for organizations only. But individual New Yorkers can call 311 or visit the website for updated information on where to find NYC Condoms - and how to get the most out of them. Here are some highlights:
When used correctly, condoms prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as unintended pregnancy
- Use a new condom before each sex act
- Put the condom on when the penis is erect, before sexual contact occurs. Unroll it all the way down.
- Leave a half-inch at the tip to collect semen. Squeeze out any extra air.
- If you put on a condom the wrong way by mistake, just throw it away and use a new one
- After sex, pull out before the penis softens. Hold the base of the condom to make sure it doesn't spill.
- Throw the condom away.
- 59th Street- Columbus Circle
- 42nd Street- Grand Central
- 42nd Street- Times Square
- Penn Station (morning only)
- 14th Street- Union Square
- Brooklyn Bridge- City Hall
- Wall Street and Broadway (evening hours are 4-6 PM)
- Fulton and Nassau Streets (evening hours are 4-6 PM)
- Whitehall Street- South Ferry
- 125th Street, by the Apollo Theater
- 149th Street & Grand Concourse- Bronx
- Queensboro Plaza- Queens
- Atlantic Avenue Station- Brooklyn (morning only)
- Borough Hall/ Court Street- Brooklyn
About Lifestyles
LifeStyles Condoms is a consumer products division of Ansell Healthcare LLC, a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products with operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Information on LifeStyles Condoms can be found at www.lifestyles.com. For more information on Ansell and its other products, please visit www.ansell.com.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
For NYC DOH
(212) 788-5290; (212) 788-3058 (After Hours)
Jessica Scaperotti: jscapero@health.nyc.gov
Sara Markt: smarkt@health.nyc.gov
Celina DeLeon: cdeleon@health.nyc.gov
For LifeStyles Condoms:
(212) 999-5585
Katie Murphy: kamurphy@5wpr.com
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