• by Karl Greenberg , November 28, 2012

Condom maker Durex will donate one of the products for every person who gets involved in its #1Share1Condom social media campaign leading up to World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. The new global initiative, which will run from Nov. 26 until Dec. 1, will use Twitter and Facebook to generate awareness about the need for prevention education in order to help decrease transmission rates. 

To reflect the 2.5 million people infected with HIV in 2011, Durex is joining forces with HIV-prevention organizations on a global scale to help drive the mission of the first HIV-free generation and has symbolically set its condom donation target at 2.5 million, which it hopes to reach by the end of World AIDS Day. Condoms will go to global and local HIV charities. 

Durex will donate one condom for every consumer who Tweets a message about HIV and AIDS using the #1share1condom hashtag, or Shares the Durex World AIDS Day image or video found on the Durex Facebook page (www.facebook.com/DurexUSA) 

“Durex is committed to improving knowledge and understanding of HIV and to raise awareness of how to prevent HIV transmission,” commented Kevin Harshaw, marketing director of personal care at Durex parent Reckitt Benckiser, in a statement. 

“We’ve supported the fight against HIV over the years, mainly through local projects. This year, we have decided to use our global market presence to create an initiative that will get the world talking and sharing.” The site shows real-time tweets of people who have donated.  

Another much smaller condom brand -- Boulder, Colo.-based Sir Richard’s -- last year did a program in which the brand donated a condom to a developing country for every one they sold.

An interesting aside: according to Mintel, the recession actually boosted sales of condoms because young adults postponed marriage and childbirth during the down economy. The firm says “value-added” condoms (extra thin or with various other bells and whistles) have driven growth in recent years. Mintel expects such products will continue to do so.