Neopharm Israel’s Durex “Save the Bulbul” Viral campaign, promoting safe sex for 2011 World AIDS day, gains recognition winning the creative campaign of the year award in the “Extreme Concept” advertising competition. The competition held by the Israeli advertising site “Ice” included 35 campaigns and the winner was chosen by a panel of 15 advertising and marketing experts.
The campaign, in collaboration with the Israeli AIDS Task Force, played on the Israeli double meaning of the word “Bulbul”, which is the name of a group of species of birds and also a playful childish name for the male genitals. Using this double meaning, a viral video was made resembling a national geographic film about a bird in danger, with text that can also refer to the male genitals. A special internet site was built for the campaign, and a cellular coupon for Durex Condoms was also offered.
The campaign, developed by the digital advertising agency “twisted”, drew great interest from the media and general public and quickly took off to become one of the most viral advertising campaigns ever made in Israel, with over half a million views on YouTube, 300% rise in visitors to the Israeli AIDS Task Force website and addition of more than 10,000 “Likes” to Durex’s Israeli Facebook page.
