New Campaign Gives Out Free Condoms To Hobby Lobby Employees

by Larissa Faw , July 16, 2014

Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that retailer Hobby Lobby does not need to cover their employee's contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act, Sir Richards Condoms and ad agency TDA_Boulder are launching a social media campaign to provide free condoms to any Hobby Lobby employee who requests them.

Under the effort, Sir Richard’s Facebook page features the message: “We believe everyone has the right to enjoy mind-blowing, safe sex. So... we are offering a free box of condoms to any Hobby Lobby employees who want them. Just message us on Facebook with your name and address and we'll send you a free box of Sir Richard’s.” Free boxes are also available by posting a message via its LinkedIn account.

The offer is supported by paid posts on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Of course, executives don’t know how many requests will really come from Hobby Lobby staffers, as, according to Sir Richard's CEO Tracey Forster, “unless the numbers were astronomical, we aren't checking to make sure they are HL employees. Just trusting them.” Still, the campaign's first day, July 11, garnered 14 box requests.

TDA has vested interest in the project--it is a founding investor in Sir Richard’s, a for-profit business with philanthropic goals that includes donating condoms to developing countries for each condom it sells. The agency and the condom company developed the campaign given their belief that employees’ birth control choices are not their employers’ business.

This is not the first time that the condom maker and the agency have garnered hot headlines. A couple years ago, for example, in response to the Rush Limbaugh/Sandra Fluke controversy, they ran a pro-”slut” campaign.

“We're always on the lookout for Sir Richard's ideas," says Dan Colburn, copywriter, TDA_Boulder. "The beauty of working on a condom account is the freedom we have to offer an opinion on issues that most brands can't touch. Art director Austin O'Connor and I were chatting about how frustrating it must be right now to be employed by Hobby Lobby, and from there we just connected the dots.”

TDA_Boulder, in Boulder, Colo., is a strategically-focused agency with $30 million billings from clients including FirstBank, Noodles & Company, General Mills, Deschutes Brewery, French’s (condiments), Newton Running and Patagonia.

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4 comments about "New Campaign Gives Out Free Condoms To Hobby Lobby Employees".

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Brad Falk from OOH Sales, July 17, 2014 at 9:17 a.m.
Your article totally misses the point of Hobby Lobby's and other Christian businesses stance. They are against post pregnancy abortification "medicines", pills that cause an abortion. Sad to see you are in line with the majority of other publications that publish 1/2 truths, omit pertinent facts and generally mislead people.
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Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, July 17, 2014 at 2:42 p.m.

What a great use of marketing for eliminating pain and suffering yet still profiting. Let's see if those multi-billion dollar pharmas will step up to the plate.

John Smith from AOL, July 17, 2014 at 3:04 p.m.

Brad is correct, here are the 16 forms of contraception that Hobby Lobby currently offers to their employees including condoms:

Male condoms
Female condoms
Diaphragms with spermicide
Sponges with spermicide
Cervical caps with spermicide
Spermicide alone
Birth-control pills with estrogen and progestin (“Combined Pill)
Birth-control pills with progestin alone (“The Mini Pill)
Birth control pills (extended/continuous use)
Contraceptive patches
Contraceptive rings
Progestin injections
Implantable rods
Vasectomies
Female sterilization surgeries
Female sterilization implants

In this age where we have more access to information than ever I caution everyone to slow down and research facts that we are not recieving from tradional news outlets.

Kevin Barry from Barry Marketing & Media, July 18, 2014 at 3 p.m.

So much to hate here. While I disagree with the SCOTUS decision favoring Hobby Lobby (IUD's and Plan B pill are not considered abortifacients--there is overwhelming scientific consensus behind this), Sir Richard is trivializing the harm done to women with a cynical, self-serving, commercial band-aid to a real problem. A low-income woman who wants to use an IUD for contraception would have to spend the better part of one month's income to purchase one on her own. (the owners of Hobby Lobby see an IUD as a method that causes an abortion, most medical practitioners do not, and the SCOTUS said what is most important is what the owners of Hobby Lobby believe in their own conscience. I think Hobby Lobby is wrong, but at least they are operating in sincere good faith). Sir Richard's cheap trick does nothing to solve this real problem while exploiting it at the same time. And worse, as other commenters have pointed out, Hobby Lobby already will cover many forms of contraception, including condoms. So the doofuses at Sir Richard are making it look like anyone who opposes the Hobby Lobby decision is as ignorant as they are. They obviously aren't interested in helping people; they are only interested in exploiting the situation to benefit their bottom line. Sir Richard, your company sucks.