Alberta Gets Gross to Make Germophobes Think Twice About Unprotected Sex

Gonorrhea on the rise

#SMW is right around the corner. Join us April 9-11 in NYC to get up to speed on all the latest strategies, technologies and trends you need to be following. Register now.

When it comes to sex, Alberta seems to be redefining the phrase "getting freaky." Already home to Canada's highest rate of syphilis, the province is now seeing a rise in gonorrhea, leading health officials to launch an unsettling ad campaign called "Sex Germs."

The concept is that residents who are careful about avoiding germs such as the common cold virus clearly aren't as careful about sexually transmitted diseases. "We seem to have developed good habits in avoiding everyday germs," the campaign site asks, "but what about sex germs?"

Targeted at the 18- to 24-year-old crowd, the ads from agency Calder Bateman feature models sporting a communicable-disease-chic red eye/snot combo with a caption like, "His cold is just one thing you could catch."

This is a follow-up to Alberta's "Plenty of Syph" campaign against syphilis.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

To Read the Full Story Become an Adweek+ Subscriber

View Subscription Options

Already a member? Sign in