With most countries around the world having endured a significant period of lockdown due to Covid-19, many people are gasping for signs of life returning to normal. However, Durex is inviting people to let go of some archaic norms in a new campaign, Let’s Not Go Back To Normal, which seeks to prompt a change in attitudes surrounding sexual health.

As part of the campaign, the contraception brand created a manifesto that appears across its imagery, touching on everything from ‘making rubbish excuses for not wearing a condom’ to ‘shaming women for even carrying one’.

The manifesto also asks us to leave ‘one million needless STIs’ in the past, coinciding with reports that lockdown could be a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to tackle rates of sexually transmitted infections.

“Everyone is talking about going back to normal. But nobody is questioning whether we should. Truth is, ‘normal’ is rooted in a lot of outdated conventions and when it comes to sex, we can do better,” says Ben Wilson, global category director of sexual wellbeing at Durex’s parent company, RB. “The current crisis is a unique chance to reset what ‘normal’ looks like, and we’re taking it upon ourselves to challenge that normal, because nobody should want to go back to a world that wasn’t working for everyone.”

Created by Havas London, the latest campaign forms part of Durex’s ongoing repositioning as an advocate of sexual wellbeing launched for Valentine’s Day earlier this year, joining a growing legion of initiatives attempting to change the narrative around sex for a more mindful audience.

Credits:
Agency: Havas London
Creatives: Greg Ormrod, Thomas Worthington
RB Global ECD & creative partner: Elliot Harris