Durex and Havas London continue to get real about sexual discomfort in the fourth installment of its long-running, Let’s Lube campaign. If the film makes you blush you’re too young to have sex. It’s honest, unashamed and necessary. Scenes include a woman masturbating, two women having sex in a shower and several hetero sex scenes – all underlining the fact that sex isn’t always comfortable, doesn’t always feel great.
The Uncomfortable Truth follows 2019’s Ladies, Let’s Lube and 2020’s MOIST and tackles misrepresentations of the female sexual experience and challenge stereotypes, attitudes and misunderstandings around vaginal dryness and uncomfortable sex. Simply put, it lets women know that “it can get a bit uncomfortable down there” highlighting the ubiquity of dryness and normalising the use of a simple solution, lubrication.
The spot promotes Durex’s Naturals lube range, including a new lubricated condom designed specifically for people with vaginas in mind, and ends with another truth (and purchases incentive) – sex feels better with lube. It urges women to get comfortable with the truth, and to get comfortable with lube.
Vicki Maguire, chief creative officer at Havas London, noted, “Believe it or not, lube ain’t just for menopausal women and those who enjoy the kinkier side of life. But it’s societal norms and misunderstandings like this that hold people with vaginas back from having the sex they deserve – which is why this campaign is so important.
“With this campaign, what I love most is that we’ve created something honest and empowering, that loudly and proudly puts the female sexual experience front and centre. When was the last time you saw a woman masturbating in an ad?”
The full campaign includes a series of digital, social and OOH executions shining a light on these common misconceptions, including “all women can get naturally drier”, “Sometimes sex can feel a bit ‘meh’ (help feel mmm with lube)”, and “sex with condoms can feel a bit oof”. It is running across the UK and Europe and will include PR activation and influencer partnerships later this year.
The campaign was created by Rosie May Bird-Smith and Amy-Rose Lynch at Havas London. The film was directed by Alicia MacDonald – best known for Netflix/Channel 4 drama series, Pure, and her work for brands including McDonald’s, Nescafé and McVitie’s. It was shot through Missing Link Films, a London production company committed to diversity and inclusion, which boasts a gender-balanced roster of directors and crew.
Lindsay Forbes, marketing manager at Durex, commented, “At Durex, we’re on a mission to liberate good sex – and for women, who can be naturally drier down there for up to two-thirds of the month, that may well involve lube. If year one of ‘Let’s Lube’ was about education, and year two about engagement, this year is all about normalising the acknowledgment of dryness as part of the natural female experience in sex – heroing lube and lubricated products as the choice she can make to make sex better, every time.”
The campaign is based on the following knowledge:
Women can naturally feel a bit drier down there for up to two-thirds of their cycle – and the uncomfortable truth is that seven out of ten women have experienced discomfort during sex1. The majority of women who use lube in the UK say that sex feels better2 but only one third of women said they would be likely to reach for lubes as a solution for uncomfortable sex3.
173% of women experience discomfort at least once. Durex Naturals Attitudinal study; 2,005 UK adults aged 18+. Freuds, January 2019.
270% of women who use lube agree sex feels better with lube. Durex Health and Wellbeing study; 214 UK adults aged 18+. July 2020.
3One third of women said they would be likely to reach for lubes as a solution for uncomfortable sex. Durex Naturals Attitudinal study; 2,005 UK adults aged 18+. Freuds, January 2019.
Credits:
Client: Durex
Creative Agency: Havas London
CCO: Vicki Maguire
Deputy ECD & Creative Partner: Elliot Harris
Creatives: Rosie May Bird-Smith & Amy-Rose Lynch
Account Team: Ainhoa Wadsworth, Nick Boyle, Bella Macdonald & Camille LeSenne
Agency producers (film): Adrianne Godfrey & Alexis Myers
Agency producer (print & digital): Kat Loizou
Strategy Director: Ally Chapman
Junior Strategist: Milan zum Hebel
Production company: Missing Link
Director: Alicia MacDonald
Executive Producer & Producer: Ben Link
DoP: Adam Scarth
Editor: Rachel Spann @ Work Editorial
Head of Design: Lorenzo Fruzza
Senior Designer: Nik House
Colourist: Matt Turner @ Absolute Post
VFX: Tom Clapp @ Absolute Post
Soundtrack Composer: Audio Networks (Library Track)
Audio Post-Production: James Cobbold @ 750MPH
Media Agency: Zenith
