One idea for the design of the official city condom is a subway theme, with maps and colors of the different lines printed on the wrappers. The Health Department says a number of possibilities are under consideration.
In an interview Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said: “Brands work, and people use branded items more than they use unbranded items, whether it’s a cola or even a medicine…Brands add value and increase use.”
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration is focused on reducing rates of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, and part of the strategy is the aggressive promotion of free condoms. Officials are banking on the idea that more people will use condoms if they’re wrapped in jazzy packaging.
New York is already a big player in the condom market. The city hands out 1.5 million free condoms each month, or about 18 million a year. Hundreds of organizations get free condoms from the city and distribute them at various locations, including health clinics and advocacy groups, bars, restaurants, nail salons, nightclubs and even prisons.
By comparison, the Los Angeles County Health Department gives out just over a million condoms per year, according to Peter Kerndt, Director of the Department’s STD program. In Los Angeles, health and advocacy organizations request and then restribute condoms, and individuals can order up to 10 at a time by calling a hot line.
New York negotiated a deal with the maker of the Lifestyles brand for 4 cents per condom, putting the expense to the city at just $720,000 annually, according to health officials.
Source : CBS watercooler
