Facing a major challenge as a new player in a category where three brands control 90%+ of the market1, Jems needed to create a meaningful impact and reach consumers who are set in their ways with limited resources.
The category overwhelmingly speaks to young men, which makes the condom aisle feel like an overwhelming place to shop. But Jems is designed for an evolving multiplicity of sex and gender expressions and isn’t shy about it (from Trans sex-ed and consent…to pegging), so we decided to focus on another, often overlooked target: seniors. Whose STI rates were shocking.
The last 10 years have seen a 267% increase in chlamydia and 388% in gonorrhea rates among 65+ Canadians. With the country’s healthcare system hanging by a thread, someone had to close the generational gap in sex-ed and ask grandpa to wrap it up. But awareness wouldn’t be enough, we had to also educate seniors and start a public conversation to make a difference. Thus, our objectives were to:
• Raise awareness of Jems as a brand challenging toxic and outdated category norms.
• Spark an inclusive and educational conversation about sexual wellness amongst seniors.
• Drive trial on a minimal budget vs competition
Since our primary target was seniors, a traditional digital campaign would not resonate. Instead, we tapped into a channel we knew they would never ignore: their grandkids
The one-line key insight:
The bond between grandparent and grandchild is a bridge between worlds.
Grandparents are closer to being “friends" with their teenage grandkids than their parents ever will be. All those things your parents never let you do? They’re just fine for the grandkids. And that opens up space to talk about any topic without judgement. Even the ones that feel taboo.
Given that no generation is more vocal, inclusive, and open about sex than Gen Z, how might we use grandchildren to start the conversation about safe sex with their grandparents?
Our message: if you’re f*cking old, make sure you’re f*cking safe.
From an educational standpoint we had to cover these four topics:
• How to talk to your partner about protection and STIs?
• When you should get tested.
• The importance of using protection.
• The joys and health benefits of safe sex as a senior.
The one-line idea:
“F*cking Old. A candy brand designed to start conversations about safe sex.”
Leveraging the unique bond seniors share with their teenage grandchildren, Jems launched a line of hard candies uniquely designed to foster open, judgment-free conversations about safe and enjoyable sex within the 65+ community.
We then asked teenage grandkids across Canada to step-up to deliver the message.
The plan
“F*cking Old” launched during STI awareness month in North America through a national PR campaign in partnership with sex expert, Jane Johanson and TikTok creators. Each candy box contained 4 different flavours - each representing a different theme for starting a safe sex conversation:
• Bawdy Banana is about the importance of using protection.
• Bedroom Berry is about having the safer sex talk with your partner.
• Hanky Panky Pear is about knowing when to get tested.
• And Sensual Strawberry was simply about all the joys of getting it on
When opened, the box contained cheeky instructional copy letting seniors know just how to interact with this product — along with a fun informational pamphlet designed to educate them further. The journey completed with the candy itself which, when unwrapped, revealed a message designed to start a conversation AND educate about safe sex in a tongue-in-cheek way.
The impact
Jems took a taboo topic no one was talking about and turned it into a mainstream media darling. Seniors’ sexual wellness was suddenly being discussed across Canada’s biggest media platforms.
“F*cking Old” was covered at length in both Tier 1 and health and wellness outlets (ITV News, The Social, CBC, CTV, MSN, The Toronto Sun, The National Post, Trend Hunter, The Montreal Gazette, Check News, and many more), totalling 300+ articles in the first week alone and more than 151M earned media impressions.
“F*cking Old” generated an earned media value of $20M+2 for Jems – more than 20X the amount Trojan, Durex, and SKYN (90% of the category) spend in Canada each year3. Beyond media attention, the campaign generated a 400% increase in online sales for Jems following its launch4.
A challenger brand with minimal investment created a BIG conversation - all with $0 media spent.
1 Condom Market Size, Growth & Forecast Report 2030
2 Netvibes Analytics
3 Pathmatics, 2021-2022
4 Proprietary and confidential client data : jemsforall.com