Smart Use of Data: When STDs Go Up, Condom Prices Come Down

Just like stocks, STDs are “publicly traded” and can obviously make sex a high-risk activity–which is the key insight driving a new, data-fueled project for condom brand LifesStyles in Australia. The New York office of Agency FCB/Six has developed a stock market-inspired campaign platform called “Publicly Traded,” a website that uses real-time Australian search engine activity about sexually transmitted diseases to create visualizations similar to stock price charts and an "STI Index." (With STI, standing for sexually transmitted infection, being the more popular term for STD in the region.) When search volume for, say, chlamydia, HIV, syphilis, herpes or gonorrhea goes up, it triggers dynamic pricing, meaning the price of a bumper pack of condoms online goes down and becomes cheaper when transmission is (theoretically) on the rise. When search volume goes down, the price increases–though it'll never exceed the standard retail price, the brand said. [kickout id="2"] The quirky project, targeted at males aged 18 to 34 who have shown interest in DIY investing, aims to raise awareness of STI risks. According to LifeStyles, infection rates in Australis have increased significantly in the past decade. A short film explains the campaign, and ads will run on social media and on financial websites urging people to “Minimize Risk. Maximize Pleasure.” [kickout id="1"] “There’s a lot of data out there on STI rates,” said Ian Mackenzie, chief creative officer of FCB/Six. “Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment it’s really easy for people to ignore that data. Publicly Traded brings the data to life in a way that gets our target—literally—invested in its outcomes, and drives dynamic pricing in a way that puts LifeStyles on the frontiers of ecommerce.” Marta Toth, director of global marketing strategy at LifeStyles Healthcare added: “Raising awareness about the importance of safe sex is central to our company’s mission, and we are continuously seeking ways to deliver that message in a meaningful and impactful way. The beauty of this campaign is that it approaches education on STIs in a fresh new way while seamlessly providing easy access to condoms.” The campaign is reminiscent of another Australian campaign: Snickers' Hungerithm from 2016. The project adjusted the price of the candy bar at 7-Eleven stores based on a real-time analysis of the Internet's mood, meaning that when online discussions tilted toward anger, Snickers bars would be cheaper. Created by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and MediaCom, Hungerithm won Best in Show in Adweek's 2017 Media Plan of the Year awards. CREDITS: Client: Marta Toth, Director, global marketing strategy; Xian Wu, global brand manager; Austin Chesterfield, associate director marketing, Australia; Aldo Oosterman, senior brand manager, Australia, LifeStyles Healthcare. Agency: FCB/SIX NY Chief creative officer: Ian Mackenzie Executive creative director: Colin Craig Associate creative director: Andrew Bernardi Copywriter: Hemal Dhanjee Art director: Steve Ierullo Designer: Ming Mikaeo Senior strategist: Eli Ferrara VP, group account director: Scott Sloggett Group account director: Shalta Dicaire Fardin Account director: Fraser Jackson Director of integrated production: Gillian Morrison Integrated producer: Venus Pun Chief technology officer: Jacob Ciesielski Development director: Luiz Costa Senior business analyst: Suraj Patel Front-end developer: Heung Lee, Tony Valderrama, Lara Goldsmith Senior full stack developer: Chris Ghouchandra Quality assurance analyst: Nataliya Vislyanska, Ashish Mistry President: Andrea Cook EVP, global growth: Mish Fletcher EVP global strategy: Fern Potter SVP, director of global communications & PR: Melanie Mitchem Editing House: Married to Giants Editor: Ryan Hunt Assistant editor: Liam Crawford Executive producer: Julie Axell Online dacility: Wingman VFX Music and sound design: Grayson Matthews Music producer: Mark Domitric Engineer: Brian Bernard Producer: Nicholas Shaw Media agency: Theory Crew Account director: Angela Reynoldson Account manager: Isabella Donato Public relations: Shannon Stephaniuk, Glossy

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When STDs Go Up, Condom Prices Come Down, Thanks to This Data-Driven Campaign

LifeStyles and FCB/Six, inspired by stock markets, call the project 'Publicly Traded'

Sara Spary

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