As I’ve learned today the condom dresses will be on sale only for a limited time (and the last time apparently).

Bertini’s works had almost global appearances from magazines like TimeOut to newspapers like the LA Times and she even dressed models at a Shanghai (condom-) fashion show.

Everyone who has taken an interest in her creations may check out Adriana Bertini’s flickr sets that I posted below, or get in touch through email (printed on the condom dresses sale image above).

Posters

Press

Murographia Project

Fashion Show

Workshops

Exhbitions

With any luck I’ll be able to showcase her whole work on Condomunity.com soon.

Just like the recently prosperous condom ringtone by the BBC World Service Trust, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health harnessed the power of the Internet and new media: They created and distributed Catch the Sperm, a 3.4 mb PC game to be played for free.

When the original CTS was released in 2001 it received worldwide coverage and more than 18 million downloads from 104 countries. 2002 the game was donwloaded more than 3 million times.

Several new Catch the Sperm versions were released subsequently to satisfy the fans’ appetite: Catch the Sperm 2, Carnival, Summer and Winter/Christmas (during the the UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal even a football theme was added).

What really made this campaign so successful is the simple gameplay.

Catch the Sperm Gameplay

Your mouse controls a “condom cannon” that’s supposed to hit all the nasty little opponents like viruses and bacteria. If you manage to hold everyone off for 90 seconds, you win (not as easy as it sounds though).

A player loses 50 fifty points each time that his or her condom gun is fired, but players can accumulate 100 points for snaring sperm cells.

Additional points may be gathered by trapping viruses, bonus points for snaring special sperm. You’re allowed to let sperms slip, but viruses end your game instantly.

Now that you know all there’s to know about this little gem, let me introduce you to the various themes. Clicking on the pictures will also send you to the official download page for Catch the Sperm.

Catch the Sperm I

Catch the Sperm II

Catch the Sperm Carnival

Catch the Sperm Summer

Catch the Sperm Winter/Christmas

This classic is available from the Swiss Government until today and worth downloading. My only regret is that my request for an iPhone or web version modification was turned down. It would’ve been a perfect summer Appstore addition.

It is possibly one of the best concepts I’ve seen so far and tackle the awareness problem visually.

The Condom 3-Pack reveals a message everytime you take out a rubber to use.

1 - Packaging Unopened

2 - Minus 1 Condom

3 - Minus 2 Condoms

4 - Minus 3 Condoms…

What makes the thing even more fascinating is that the two creators Robert Daniel Nagy and Mads Jakob Poulsen had 24 hours to come up with their results.

This is what they say about their packaging:

This is a handy package constructed so it opens from the right to the left, revealing a simple humoristic statement as each condom is taken out (and hopefully used!). The statement simply connects ‘condoms’ with ‘having sex’,and ‘no more condoms’ meaning ‘no more sex’. The message should come across in eye level with the target group without being patronising or judgemental. Sex is fun, yet serious.

To see their other condom campaign idea you may like to visit our older post about tagging people.

Sagami Rubber has been awarded gold in both the film category and the PR category for their website and film entitled “LOVE DISTANCE - Our distance, a billion millimeters,” created back in October 2008.

The storyline goes like this: A couple, separated by a long distance, run to meet each other at a point halfway between them. The whole journey was being documented on the website for everyone to watch during one month (Images of the two were broadcast live on the internet for one month until the moment they met and embraced at the midpoint).

The couple featured in the movie were actually dating for 2 and a half years already and chosen for the adventure: They had to run a 1,000,000,000 mm (1,000 km) marathon, one starting from Tokyo and the other from Fukuoka.

Live Route Map

Here’s the movie:

To show you how successful this ad was in Japan let me quote some of the results…

TV programs featured this event and created a buzz, which not only spread in Japan but spread abroad as well. There were over 100,000 users accessing the site on the day of the reveal, as all were eager to know the name of the client and the product.

and some more details about the execution…

The couple’s locations were marked on an internet map through GPS and users could go and cheer them on the streets and send them fax messages via the internet to show their support. (…) The men’s site and the women’s site were created separately. Users, unaware that once their gender is chosen, would not be able to share the other gender’s site, due to answering the gender question asked of them when they first visited the site. On Christmas eve, the day of the finale, the men’s site and the women’s site came together as one, as the couple embraced each other.

To date, the website has received 8 awards in 5 advertising contests. Some of the other awards include:

• A Yellow Pencil in Digital Advertising Campaigns from the Online Advertising
  Category for D&AD Awards 2009
• The Best in ADFEST’s CBC 16 Best Integrated Cyber Category
• Bronze Medal in One Show Interactive’s Microsites

Sincere thanks to Evan.

To make your Oscar-winning entrails just follow the steps outlined below from the shopping list to have them dry in your shower.

By the way: Condoms are also the ideal instrument for a cheap bloodshed effect. As a matter of fact many Indian movie makers use them for action films. The condoms just need to be hidden from the viewer, filled with crimson-pigmented liquid and are then ready to be stabbed.

Here you go:

1 - Shopping List

To make entrails takes very few supplies. Your shopping list looks like this.

• Unlubricated condoms
• KY Jelly
• Food coloring
• Press and Seal wrap
• Fake blood

2 - Filling the Condoms

Start by filling the condoms with KY Jelly. You’ll need about one tube of KY per condom. Add a little bit of food coloring, but don’t worry about mixing it evenly. I use 1 drop green to 3 drops red, personally. Tie each condom off making a whole bunch of individual of links.

Note: The KY usually makes really impressive farting noises.

3 - The Detritus

I had a student helping me make these and she took some of the supplies home to finish up. Her boyfriend came in while the room looked like this.

I think he was sad that he hadn’t been invited over earlier.

And you should see the people at the checkout line when you buy 20 boxes of KY jelly. It’s a fun job.

4 - On the Wrap

Lay the condoms out on the Press and Seal. Normally, I don’t get specific about a brand, but this stuff is great for intestines. Because it’s self sticking, it adheres well to itself. The slight pebbly texture and the translucents can pass as viscera.

Notice how the condoms are all different colors. That helps create the illusion of food passing through.

5 - Deckle the Edge

Deckle the edges of wrap so that you eliminate a crisp line. Straight edges almost never occur in nature and certainly not in the human body. Making the edge uneven also means that you’ll have varying degrees of overlap on the wrap so the opacity will vary.

6 - Finishing Up

Dip the entrails into stage blood, most of which has the lovely property of looking wet even when it’s dry. Do test this and be aware that humidity will slow the drying down and make them sticky. Once they’ve dried, they’ll look wet and freshly extracted but without all that messy residue.

If you leave them drying in the shower, as I did, I highly recommend that you leave a note so that no one is startled upon finding them.

Thanks and via Mary.

The German foundation Stiftung Warentest is a very helpful resource when it comes to product testing and quality information.

Stiftung Warentest exist since 1964 and during that time (to be exact during 43 years) they produced more than 4500 tests. That way they put more than 80′000 products to the proof.

Each year these tests are published in roughly 10 million magazines or viewed online (26.6 million visits in 2008). It is only natural that condoms are tested periodically too.

During the test - called Fast schon perfekt (almost perfect) - 27 variations of condoms and totally 24′500 of them were controlled by for instance filling in 18 litres of air.

The best ones only burst at about 30 litres of air, not one cracked at the Din/ISO limit of 18.

All brands passed the testing procedures with a “Good”. Of those 24′500 tested condoms only 5 had small holes.

Study the graphical outlines below to find out more about the test results. To get to the original test please click the link on the left.

Amor Nature

Average price per item (Euro): 0,10.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Amor Gummiwaren. The Amor homepage is also available in English. There are roughly 14 variations of the Amor brand.

Billy Boy Extra feucht

Average price per item (Euro): 0,65.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Billy Boy. Great homepage; also available in English

Blausiegel Comfort

Average price per item (Euro): 0,64.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Blausiegel. By the same producers as Billy Boy and Fromms.

chaps classic natur

Average price per item (Euro): 0,28.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Chaps. Find 3 other variations on the chaps brand on the MedDevice homepage.

Durex Emotions

Average price per item (Euro): 0,91.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Durex. No need to explain Durex, just the same thing you get at home.

Durex Gefuehlsecht

Average price per item (Euro): 0,63.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Durex. No need to explain Durex, just the same thing you get at home.

Fromms mit Spezialgleitfilm

Average price per item (Euro): 0,55.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Fromms. Fromms is one of the oldest condom brands on the market.

LifeStyles ES2 Extra Sensitiv

Average price per item (Euro): 0,28.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage LifeStyles Deutschland. LifeStyles, the most successful Ansell brand now available in Germany.

Mueller/Young Hearts sensitiv

Average price per item (Euro): 0,25.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Young Hearts. Young Hearts is the brand by German drugstore giant Mueller. To be found more than 500 times across Europe.

Orion/Secura Gold

Average price per item (Euro): 0,22.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Secura. A sligthly different approach to condoms/packaging than the rest.

Ritex ideal

Average price per item (Euro): 0,50.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Ritex. Available in English and Dutch as well.

Ritex intensiv

Average price per item (Euro): 0,69.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Ritex.

Ritex RR.1

Average price per item (Euro): 0,50.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Ritex.

Rossmann/preventivo sensitiv

Average price per item (Euro): 0,21.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Rossmann. Preventivo is the brand of the German drugstore chain Rossmann.

Schlecker/vulkan sensitive

Average price per item (Euro): 0,25.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Schlecker. Another big player in the German drugstore market.

The Hot Rubber Pure

Average price per item (Euro): 0,70.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage The Hot Rubber. The only Swiss brand on the German market. One of the few fair trade brands.

ReAm Best Friends natural

Average price per item (Euro): 0,21.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (2.0).

More: Homepage ReAm.

rfsu Okeido

Average price per item (Euro): 0,60.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (2.0).

More: Homepage RFSU. Condoms by the Swedish healthcare giant.

Beate Uhse/Love Care feeling

Average price per item (Euro): 0,67.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: satisfactory.

Test results: GOOD (2.1).

More: Homepage Beate Uhse. The erotic store approach.

Luemmeltueten Zweisam

Average price per item (Euro): 0,41.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: satisfactory.

Test results: GOOD (2.1).

More: Homepage Luemmeltueten.

Rilaco Akiriko extra duenn

Average price per item (Euro): 0,49.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: satisfactory.

Test results: GOOD (2.1).

More: Homepage Rilaco. One of 14 brand variations.

Inspiral Condoms

Average price per item (Euro): 0,75.
Safety: good.
Declaration: satisfactory.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (2.2).

More: Homepage Inspiral. Famous producers of slightly different condoms like Yourtube or Dolphin.

Strength 0,1 Millimeters

Blausiegel HT Special

Average price per item (Euro): 0,64.
Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage Blausiegel.

LifeStyles ER2 Reissfest

Average price per item (Euro): 0,40.

Safety: good.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: GOOD (1.9).

More: Homepage LifeStyles Deutschland.

Latex-free Condoms

Blausiegel Sensitive Hauchduenn

Average price per item (Euro): 2,5.
Safety: no regulations available here.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: no end result because of the missing regulations.

More: Homepage Blausiegel.

Durex Avanti Ultima

Average price per item (Euro): 2,48.
Safety: no regulations available here.
Declaration: good.
Packaging: very good.

Test results: no end result because of the missing regulations.

More: Homepage Durex.

Thanks to Stiftung Warentest.

What makes Japan so fascinating when it comes to condoms, is their incredible drive to innovation and creativity (we’ve covered the Astrology and Junko Mizuno condoms recently).

Also much of the technology used by condom manufacturers today was invented by Japanese companies. This is still true today: A super thin polyurethane condom was just released recently, which probably also is one of the most expensive ones on the market: 2000 Yen (22 USD) for 4 pieces.

So here is how it all got started:

Translated and written by Jay Yoshikawa

Ancient Egypt

It is believed that the condom was invented in ancient Egypt where tribesmen wore cylindrical sacks to protect their members from insect bites.

15th Century

Italian anatomist Gabriele Falloppio documented his method of wrapping the glans penis with linen sheaths to prevent syphilis.

17th Century

Goat intestines were used for pregnancy prevention in the region of Condom, France. Some theories, however, suggest that the word condom came from an English court physician named “Doctor Condom” who, hinted by gas bladders in fish, allegedly invented a type of silk-made glans sack for King Charles II of England to answer the king’s desire to avoid unprepared pregnancies with his lovers.

1840 (During Japan’s Edo Period)

Condoms made by rubber came on the scene in Europe. In Japan, a product that was described as “Apparatus to avoid pregnancy” appeared in “Yotsumeya”, an early prototype of store catalogue in Japan. It is believed to be a spin-off of silk-made glans sack.

1909 (Meiji Period)

“Heart Beauty”, Japan’s first domestically manufactured condom brand, came to the market. At the time, people commonly believed that losing full sexual feel was unavoidable if one wanted to get away from venereal diseases.

1950s

The view of general public about latex condoms gradually began to switch from a disease-avoider to a contraceptive device. Demand for condoms increased.

Nowadays most people acknowledge latex condom as a convenient way for both contraception and STD prevention. Historically, however, condoms began as a probable solution to avoid venereal diseases.

The notion that one must sacrifice full sexual sensation if one wishes to prevent from getting sick, has not really changed for the last 50 years or so though. Well, one must realize that the quality of latex condoms was only substantially improved since the 1950s, and the condom in its modern form, better or worse, still has a short history in this great saga of humanity.

1. Ready to fight?

Today the condom is a great success not only in pregnancy/disease prevention, but also in the show business. Condoms are sometimes used in those killing scenes you see at the theater or on TV.

They are an affordable way to create a bloodshed effect. Actors hide a condom filled with crimson-pigmented liquid, ready to be stabbed. Sounds like an easy piece? Not as easy as you may think, imagine if the intruding samurai pierced the wrong spot? Ouch…careful, careful.

2. Amidst the heat of the Cold War…

As part of Soviet’s psychological warfare, the Russians at one time sent custom-orders for horse-sized condoms in a big quantity to the USA in attempt to undermine the Americans. (On the other hand, we do admit that we the Japanese lost both the war and our inner confidence to the Americans after seeing THEIR condoms after World War Two.)

The Americans obviously realized the Soviet’s gimmick, and counteracted by sending all those condoms with the stamp “Medium Size” on each shipment box.

3. Japan today

A British medical journal published an article “The glorious Japanese condom” in 1973. According to the article, “The Japanese use 450,000 gross (1 gross = 144 piece) of condoms per month, enough to prevent pregnancy in 780 million acts of intercourse a year.

If all these condoms were jointed together, they could circle the earth four times.”

However, over the last ten years, the consumption level of condoms is only 60% compared to its peak period. With this in mind, cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) reported have kept increasing over the years. So as always, be safe and use a condom.

Sincere thanks and credits go to Jay and Fuji.

Storing condoms in the right place when going out is a stiff subject. After all you don’t want it to stick out of your wallet or in any other unsafe place. UK’s King Apparel suggests you to have your condom in your jeans in an inside stash pocket.

King is a streetwear label and as such they are in a great place to tackle teenage pregnancies and STD’s in the 15-18 year age range. To achieve the best results they partnered up with Want Respect? in 2007 and presented the jeans with a condom pocket I mentioned before.

Now, two years later, all of their jeans and shorts come with the pockets as a standard. What a success.

Here’s what King say about the project:

The project is a couple of years old now, but King wanted to de-stigmatise taking a condom out on a night out as it looks like the guy thinks he’s going to get lucky, when all he’s doing is being prepared - you never know… But they gave away a lanyard with a condom as well in the stores that stocked the jeans, they came attached to the jeans.

The King Apparel Jeans

Jeans Pocket

Shorts Pocket

By the way the pockets are branded with the heart shaped Want Respect? logo (as you can see in the pictures above) that has been designed by graffiti legend Mode2.

And Here’s the link to the complete lineup of products by King Apparel.

Thanks and via Robin.

As of today you may enter the competition here and win one of the pictured items by either:

• Subsribing to their Newsletter on the site OR
• Purchasing something with the promo code: COMP-CONDOMUNITY OR
• Simply sending in an email telling them you’d like to win (put the COMP-CONDOMUNITY as the subject of your email

The competition runs until the draw on Sept 30th. To email them use this address here “info at condomgirl.co.uk”. Now what’s keeping you?

Image courtesy of Apple.

Christian Vieri and Milan football club legend Paolo Maldini now officially have their own condom brand. They’ve launched the limited edition of their rubbers in a press conference this week.

Akuel Blues Sweet Years Limited Edition is obviously limited to a certain period to their fashion label Sweet Years they started a few years back.

The goal for this campaign (apart from always being incredibly great press) is to support and donate all proceeds to a youth sex education project.

By the way, just in case you have some condoms to spare and don’t know what to do with them, how about using them as football socks?

Which one is it going to be?

A banana, rocket, submarine or a microphone condom?

Or rather a zeppelin, full beer glass, dolphin or cucumber condom?

I tend to the full beer glass condom just because it makes no sense at all. To see more details for these creations stay tuned as I’ll cover them in more detail later on.

Though probably the most important question remains: will they ever hit your local store? Patents usually are a few years ahead, so only time will tell.

Other older hilarious and more or less serious patents can be viewed in 60+ Incredible Patents You Don’t Want to Miss.

We’ve covered various condom dispensers in the past like the Don’t Panic Button and the fantastic Cucoon.

Here’s another, newer creation called C-Box by Don’t Kill the Mood.

While the mentioned products all have fancy names in common, they are very different in their looks and meaning. The C-box is a discreet black or white packaging that isn’t really going to cause attention (compare with Don’t Panic Button and Cucoon).

What it does for you? It stores condoms, lucrication packets and individually wrapped wet towelette packets so you have everything conveniently set up.

This is how the condom dispenser works: remove the lid, pull back the roller, place the condoms in front, replace the lid, remove a condom and use it. Pretty simple.

And finally here are some product in use pictures:

White C-Box

C-Box in the Bathroom

Kitchen C-Box

Black and White C-Box in the Drawer

Beside Guitar

The design is simple and with no unnecessary gimmicks (or I should say no more). Additional information may be found on www.dontkillthemood.com. Happy refilling.

Currently, Durex accounts for approximately 29% of the global branded condom market. The company sells condoms in over 130 countries worldwide and is the market leader in more than 40 markets. That’s the perfect base for the company’s yearly surveys.

There’s another one just coming up at the UK’s National Condom Week of 18 - 24 May 2009 and Durex is hoping to address the biggest possible number of people through a newly set up Facebook group:

“Durex is kicking off National Condom Week (18 - 24 May 2009) by launching what it hopes will be the biggest ever insight into the sexual habits and practices of the nation. Please go to one of the websites below to take part and stand the chance of winning great prizes. And invite as many people as possible to join this group. Findings will be published with a national news partner later this year.“

If you want to be part of this join the the British Sex Survey or the facebook group. Goody bags were up for grabs for the ones who invited their friends, but they are all gone by now.

MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation and The Body Shop have launched the extended HIV prevention campaign Say Yes to Safe Sex last week. We have the pics of the NYC launch event with - Durex and Solange Knowles.

The Body Shop and Solange Knowles launched the campaign coupled with free in store Durex condom hand outs as part of the global HIV/AIDS safe sex campaign in conjunction with MTV Networks. To get lips moving about this vital issue, The Body Shop now sells their “Tantalizing Lip Butter” to help raise funds for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

Approximately $5 from every purchase of the fruity lip butter will benefit the Staying Alive Foundation, a charity empowering young people around the world to protect themselves and their communities against HIV and AIDS.

To make sure the campaign reaches as many people as possible they have now opened the dedicated interactive site www.yestosafesex.com to involve visitors and encourage them to share the word (through facebook in particular as it seems).

“We felt it was imperative to encourage a discussion on safe sex even it meant causing a bit of a commotion. We hope this campaign educates consumers on the importance of safe sex and knowing your status”, stated Phil Kowalczyk, President of The Body Shop Americas.

Durex on their part are giving away free condoms (until the supply runs out) with every purchase of the Tantalizing Lip Butter/Yes, Yes, Yes to Safe Sex Campaign product. Markets with free condoms include NY, San Francisco, Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle and Toronto.

With campaigns like this MTV and The Body Shop have raised more than $2 million for the Staying Alive Foundation over the last two years. This funding has provided grants to young people to work on HIV prevention efforts amongst their peers at a grass-root level.

Launch Party in NYC - Solange up front

In front of NYC Store

Body Shop Team with the Naked Cowboy

See the rest of the pictures in our flickr account.

And if we learn anything from this, then HIV is still deadly and on the rise. With research showing over 3,000 new HIV infections daily among young adults ages 15-24, the campaign is designed to target young people taking risks with their own health and that of their sexual partners.

Product Image Copyright 2009 The Body Shop International Plc.

At times you’ve got to ask yourself: where am I supposed to hide that condom thing (of course you might choose not to hide but to show them off in a big plastic condom bag also)? And often you might get tempted to just put it somewhere in your wallet.

The only problem is that your wallet is not made for this - it will crush your life insurance in no time. That’s what Christopher Leo thought, so he quickly designed a condom friendly wallet, where the condom is the star and may be hidden behind your credit cards.

So next time you try to hide a rubber in your wallet, remember there’s someone out there owning this technology since January 2009. I imagine this technology helps in two ways - a bigger wallet makes you look more desirable (ok hopefully not) and the protection is there at your service, too.

Unfortunately there’s not much information on how this should work, but the pictures will at least give you a slight idea. And just in case it ever hits a store, we’ll let the world know.

Front Elevational View

Top Plan and Bottom Plan View

In case you didn’t know, there’s pretty much ANYTHING you can imagine in the condom patent world!