• by Tanya Gazdik , January 11, 2012

The campaign for Okamoto USA, Inc.’s thinnest-ever condom, the 0.04-mm. thick Crown brand “Zero Zero Four,” reminds users of what the alternative to usage is: Becoming a father.

Cleveland-based advertising agency Marcus Thomas created a 24-second banner ad that starts with 18 enigmatic and annoying seconds of kids acting up, before a stopper of an ending clears up what the Zero Zero Four accomplishes, and how and why.

Creative stresses that even though 004s are thin, they are effective. The bulk of the video is six young children screaming, crying, and shouting “no.” As one of the boys approaches the camera, we realize that the entire video has been shot through an invisible, thin film, and that that film is strong enough to keep the child at bay.

The ad ends with supered type: “Feel everything. Except the joys of fatherhood.” That is followed by: “At a mere 0.04 mm, Zero Zero Four condoms by Crown are one of the thinnest, most-sensitive condoms you can buy.” A button leads to the four online retailers who sell it.

The campaign targets males ages 18-34, with the mouse-over, rich media banner ad appearing on sites including Weather.com, ESPN, WebMD, CollegeHumor, RollingStone, Travelocity, and CarSoup.com. The demographically targeted, eight million-impression buy was conducted via ad-serving network Collective Media, Inc., New York.

The condoms, at $39.99 for 24, are available exclusively through Drugstore.com, CVS.com, Condom.com and UnderCoverCondom.com.

Sandusky, Ohio-based Okamoto USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Okamoto Industries, Inc., Tokyo. Established in 1934, Okamoto Industries is a leading international manufacturer of quality rubber and plastic products.