Jems for All

F*CKING OLD

Candy designed to start conversations around safer sex practices.

Created by:

加拿大

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Dentsu Creative x Jems for All, F*cking Old Campaign

We harnessed the power of Gen Z, who talk about sex openly, to ignite a conversation around sexual health and the spread of STIs, amongst a generation at risk.

Dentsu Creative x Jems for All, 4 Box Designs

Challenge

CANADIANS OVER 65 HAVE SEEN A 240% INCREASE IN STI RATES

Talking about sex with parents or grandparents may be awkward, but frankly, has never been more necessary. The rise of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Canadian seniors is unparalleled since many seniors who leave long-term, monogamous relationships and re-enter the dating scene are unaware of the risks associated with STIs and hook up culture.

Approach

LEVERAGING A UNIQUE FAMILY BOND

Leveraging the unique bond between grandparents and their grandchildren, we designed this line of hard candies to help young people break the ice on open, judgment-free conversations about safer sex and protection with their grandparents.
Each candy comes wrapped with a cheeky joke, acting as a conversation starter around safer and enjoyable sex. The boxes containing the candies also have a hidden drawer filled with Jems condoms, seamlessly integrating the brand into the experience.

Dentsu Creative x Jems for All Packaging Design, Banana

Dentsu Creative x Jems for All Packaging Design, Blueberry

Dentsu Creative x Jems for All Packaging Design, Pear

Solution

‘WRAPPING IT UP’

Every aspect of the design of this product has a purpose.
The outside of the candy box features innocent fruit, so grandma or grandpa is free to keep it out in the open. Open it up, however, and it gets a little more risqué, each wrapper bringing a different aspect of the ‘sex talk’ to life.
Sold on Jems’ website, the "F*cking Old" candy box contains 25 candies and 4 different flavours - each flavour representing a different theme for starting a safer sex conversation:

Bawdy Banana is about the importance of using protection.
Bedroom Berry is about having the “safer sex talk” with your partner.
Hanky Panky Pear is about knowing when to get tested.
And Sensual Strawberry was simply about the joys of getting it on.

Each candy comes wrapped in a joke written not only to break the ice but also as a means to educate on its chosen topic. Launched in April 2023, during STI awareness month, the campaign was supported via TikTok and PR efforts at launch. This provocative candy line is still available throughout North America via Jems’ e-commerce website.

Dentsu Creative x Jems for All, Box Packaging

Dentsu Creative x Jems for All, Sweets Packaging

Results

A MAINSTREAM MEDIA DARLING

We took a taboo topic no one was talking about and turned it into a mainstream media darling. Seniors’ sexual wellness was suddenly being discussed across Canada’s biggest media platforms.
The work was covered at length in both Tier 1 and health and wellness outlets (ITV News, CBC, CTV, MSN, Yahoo, The Toronto Sun, The National Post, Trend Hunter, The Montreal Gazette, Check News), totaling 300+ articles in the first week alone and totaling more than 151M earned media impressions.
“F*cking Old” generated an earned media value of $20M+ for Jems – more than 20X the amount Trojan, Durex, and SKYN (90% of the category) spend in Canada each year. Beyond media attention, the campaign generated a 400% increase in online sales for Jems following its launch.
A challenger brand with minimal investment driving BIG conversation, all with $0 media spent.