Ansell titillates millennials with latest 'Smart is sexy' ad campaign

ISELIN, N.J. -- Ansell, a global leader in protection solutions and the makers of LifeStyles and SKYN Condoms, on Monday debuted its "Smart is Sexy" advertising campaign designed to challenge the way people define sexiness. Launching globally across digital, social and out-of-home platforms, the "Smart is Sexy" campaign will activate in the United States with other countries to follow.

"The inspiration for 'Smart is Sexy' came directly from our key demographic, the millennial consumer," stated Jeyan Heper, president and general manager, Sexual Wellness Global Business Unit at Ansell. "In various focus groups, millennials explained to us that self-confidence and sexiness are directly linked, and young adults need to 'smarten up' by recognizing  that sexiness does not only come from superficial beauty, physical exposure or sexual performance, but from feeling self-confident and sexy about yourself as you are."

Mainstream portrayals of sex and sexuality can be extremely clichéd, with marketing messages, film and television, art, literature and more often weighed down by outdated stereotypes. These messages have, over time, created discomfort surrounding open and honest discussions about sex, especially for millennial consumers.

LifeStyles "Smart is Sexy" advertisements challenge these clichés head-on via banner ads and videos that at first glance appear to support some outdated concepts surrounding sexiness, but upon a closer look reveal various signs of sexy that focus on intelligence, confidence, ambition and open-mindedness. The campaign questions typical role models and societal expectations and aims to boost the confidence of users by encouraging them to embrace and celebrate sexiness in all its forms.

Globally conceptualized by Hamburg, Germany-based +KNAUSS Agency and executed in the U.S. by the AMP Agency, "Smart is Sexy" will debut simultaneously in the United States, Brazil and Australia, with China and Europe kicking off the campaign in early 2017.  The videos were specifically designed to be skip-able YouTube pre-roll ads and work with the Silent Autoplay Function in the Facebook timeline. Viewers who are curious to find out what turns on the men and women featured in the videos will do one of two things: either continue to watch the pre-roll ad after the first five seconds or, in case of the Facebook ad, click on the sound button.