Fearless Group’s First Ad for .XXX Domain

The headline in The Fearless Group’s first ad for .xxx, the sponsored top-level domain from ICM Registry, is cheeky, but the underlying message is not.

“Why the Adult Entertainment Industry Is Adopting a New Position” reads a block-lettered headline in the print ad, which broke in today’s editions of the Los Angeles Times and the Financial Times. What follows is 47 lines of earnest copy (“We also feel it’s high time the adult entertainment industry was recognized for the responsible, proactive stance it’s now taking online.”) and four subheads, including “A few searching questions” and “Support, not just responsibility.” The last line includes the company’s website address and the message, “.xxx coming now.”

Remarkably, an ad targeting pornographers doesn't include a single image. Fearless also is producing four videos that use a character named Gavin to “illustrate the perils of those who don’t move from .com to .xxx,” said Fearless partner Robin Kent. The videos will break online in the next week or so.

ICM hired Fearless—a New York startup led by former global agency executives like Kent and Jerry Judge—after considering several shops for its global account. Annual media spending is estimated at $20 million.

Beyond traditional and online advertising, Fearless will handle media planning and buying.

“We liked the idea of working with such a responsive team that had such broad and diverse expertise,” ICM CEO Stuart Lawley said, in a statement. He added that Fearless has “helped us understand how best to position our complex and sensitive offer.”

The new agency succeeds the London office of M&C Saatchi, which handled the ICM account for less than a year.