Cornelius Roseborough

Trojan Condoms has devised a marketing strategy geared toward teens. They have print ads in Seventeen, WordUp!, and Tiger Beat. Commercials running on stations like MTV, BET, and Comedy Central are marketing these condoms to teens. The ads show teens at a party having fun and one comes up with an idea to play “spin the bottle.” After playing the game the lights turn off and when they come back on, you see two teens in bed with smiles on their faces and an open condom wrapper on the night stand. The following words appear on the screen: “They’re going to do it anyway!” In the print ads they are at a high school basketball game where the mascot is a condom.

This ad is supporting teen sex and it’s something that should not be going on. The ad is taking the place of what a parent should be doing and Trojan has over-stepped its bounds. Every teen is not having sex and their slogan makes you think they all are doing it. The marketing is for teens and is seen on stations and magazines with a high teen demographic. Now I am all for safe sex, but I do not believe that a company should force our children to see it.

I am so offended and hurt by these ads and I am requesting that parents all over the world send in letters to get these ads removed. We also should boycott the stations that play their commercials and not buy or allow your teens to buy those magazines.

How do you feel about teen-focused condom ads?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal