TV is 'out of the picture' for new LifeStyles ads

Drug Store News, March 25, 2002 by Diane West

RED BANK, N.J. -- Ansell Healthcare last month introduced its latest media campaign supporting the LifeStyles condom brand. Called "LifeStyles. It feels right," the ads appeal to couples in monogamous relationships.

A major departure from the company's recent ad campaigns, the new ad buy will not incorporate television at all, Ansell reported. "We've completely eliminated broadcast and cable television from this campaign because of the restrictions placed on television condom advertising," stated Carol Carrozza, vice president of marketing for Ansell Healthcare. Carrozza criticized network executives for not permitting condom ad during prime time, even though almost three-quarters of consumers surveyed in a June 2001 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation condoned TV condom commercials. "Media and network executives continue policies that either block or severely restrict [advertising]. Ironically, those same executives encourage programming that is measured under a completely different standard," she said, referring to shows that have clearly redefined the boundaries of acceptability on TV.

The new Ansell ads appear in national consumer publications, including GQ, Maxim, Playboy, Vibe, Spin and The Source. Radio commercials air on urban hip-hop stations, such as WQHTFM in New York and KYLD-FM in San Francisco. As part of the campaign, both radio stations will coordinate LifeStyles events at local nightclubs.

Separately, Secretary of State Colin Powell supported condom use during an MTV interview the day before Valentine's Day, a marked departure from the Bush administration's public support of abstinence as a primary birth-control measure. "In my own judgement, condoms are a way to prevent infection," Powell said during MTV's broadcast of "Global Forum with Colin Powell." "Therefore, I not only support their use, I encourage their use among people who are sexually active and need to protect themselves."