There’s a new market for young male Aussies to play in – The STI market. It’s based on a new index, the STI Index. Six STIs are presented in data visualisations that resemble stock market charts, providing an at-a-glance look at which STIs might be on the rise (or decline), then combining all six into the single metric called the STI Index. The index drives dynamic inverse pricing for 30-packs of LifeStyles condoms: The higher the index in a particular region, the lower the price. However, the price will never exceed the manufacturer’s recommended retail price.
The campaign lives on on PubliclyTraded.com.au and is aimed at young men 18-34 who have shown interest in DIY investing and are also likely to purchase condoms. It’s built around the creative insight that there are links between sex and the stock market: like stocks, STIs are “publicly traded,” and people can opt to either play it safe or risk it all.
The STI Index is determined by Google Search data around six key sexually transmitted infections: chlamydia, HIV, syphilis, herpes, gonorrhea and HPV. The platform is driven by three real-time Australian search behaviours: STI names (e.g., searching “herpes”), symptoms (e.g., searching “painful urination”), and by geographic region (where those searches are happening).
The campaign was developed by the New York office of data-led creative agency, FCB/SIX, which won the 2019 Cannes Lions Creative Data Grand Prix for Black & Abroad’s, Go Back to Africa.
“There’s a lot of data out there on STI rates,” explained Ian Mackenzie, chef 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 e-commerce.”
The campaign comes as STI rates across Australia have increased significantly in the past decade, with cases of gonorrhoea more than tripling between 2008 and 2017, and chlamydia cases increasing more than five times, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The site allows site visitors to sign up for price alerts. Similar to how many online financial trading platforms allow users to set a price alert for individual stocks, users of Publicly Traded are able to set their own price alerts through both email and SMS, and get notified when the 30-pack of condoms reaches their target price.
“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,” noted Marta Toth, director of global marketing strategy at LifeStyles Healthcare. “The beauty of this campaign is that it approaches education on STIs in a fresh new way while seamlessly providing easy access to condoms.”
LifeStyles is promoting the initiative by taking the STI “public” through IPO-themed ads appearing on social media and on financial websites urging people to Minimise Risk. Maximise Pleasure. Other campaign elements include both 30- and 15-second videos, supported by GIFs and influencer marketing.
Credits:
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
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 Facility: 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
Client: LifeStyles
Director, Global Marketing Strategy at LifeStyles Healthcare: Marta Toth,
Global Brand Manager: Xian Wu
Associate Director Marketing, Australia: Austin Chesterfield
Senior Brand Manager, Australia: Aldo Oosterman