Unconventional in Japan? Okamoto, a Condom Maker, Starts Large-Scale Promotion to Prevent Venereal Diseases

Surprising commercial featuring two mating dinosaurs even generates a
lot of hype outside Japan.
Original wearable device will
also be announced in February.

TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Okamoto Industries, Inc. (TOKYO:5122)(headquarters: Tokyo, Japan), which
commands the top share in the domestic market for condoms, established
the “Lovers Laboratory (http://lovers-labo.jp/)”
in December 2015. The purpose of this facility is to prevent undesired
pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among people in Japan.
Mr. Yoshimi Tokui, a member of the comedy duo Tutorial, was
appointed head of the laboratory. The web commercial “Okamoto Zero One –
Dinosaur Edition”, the latest project announced in January 2016, has
generated a tremendous response both in Japan and other countries,
reaching more than 1,000,000 views. The commercial was directed by Mr.
Kota Morie (Transistor Studio Co., Ltd.), an energetic and promising CG
creator who has also worked as chief animator on projects such as “Leaps
in Evolution”, an NHK Special. We launched this project in hopes of
creating opportunities that make people recognize the need to actively
wear condoms out of consideration for their partners, thereby helping
maintain healthy relationships.

“Okamoto Zero One – Dinosaur Edition”
https://youtu.be/EQ0px0v9SII　
English version
https://youtu.be/vswCi9uGZBE　
Japanese version

Story behind “Okamoto Zero One – Dinosaur Edition”
The
setting is more than 70 million years ago on Earth. A male dinosaur and
female dinosaur instinctively start flirting and then mating. During the
course of mating, the aroused male dinosaur ejaculates inconsiderately.
Recognizing this, the female dinosaur distances herself swiftly and
becomes angry. There seems to have been a lack of consideration towards
one’s partner in romantic relationships 70 million years ago. But things
are different in the human world, and that’s where Okamoto can help.

In February, development will be completed for the world’s first
wearable device for conveniently carrying condoms
The Lovers
Laboratory is developing a device to address the issue of the
“unestablished condom position.” This issue is derived from the
assumption that people do not have a condom available at the very time
they need one, and that this carelessness is why less people are using
condoms. The Lab decided to ask the company Birdman to work on a product
promotion video that will be released online around the middle of
February, 2016. Birdman is a digital marketing promotion company that
has won several awards in Japan and abroad, including the Cannes Lions
and One Show awards.
A video for the pre-announcement of ZERO-ONE
BELT: http://lovers-labo.jp/project/project02.html

Create opportunities that encourage Japanese people to think more
about condoms.
According to a survey of 400 people on condom
use awareness conducted by the Condom Use Promotion Committee, more than
half of the people responded that they had not seen any marketing or
advertisements about condoms. With the number of young Japanese people
suffering from sexually transmitted diseases likely to increase, since
the end of 2015 Okamoto has been aggressively moving forward with
advertisements that really get young people to think about the use of
condoms. We received more than 2,000 tweets in the first month after the
start of terrestrial broadcast of Okamoto’s condom-related commercial,
which was the first Okamoto TV commercial broadcast in 11 years. There
were people who indicated that it was the first condom commercial they
had ever seen, while others commended Japan for making this bold move.
People who saw the commercial late at night thought it was merely being
shown after normal viewing hours, and didn’t realize it was the first
Okamoto TV commercial in 11 years. We hope the commercial is seen by a
wide range of people both in Japan and other countries, and that it
creates many opportunities for them to think about and discuss condoms.

Contacts

AUR, Inc.
Lovers Laboratory PR management office
Nami Hayashi,
+81-3-5545-3888
FAX: +81-3-5545-3887
E-mail: lovers_lab_pr-ml@aur.co.jp
*Please
contact us by e-mail.