Male condom advertising in United States magazines and on the World Wide Web from 1997-2007: Implications for media literacy and health literacy

摘要

Advertising comprises a key component of media. Condoms are one of the most discussed products of the late 20th and early 21st century. This research was designed to review condom advertising techniques used in the late 20th and early 21st Century, both in print and on the World Wide Web. United States magazines from 1997-2007 were reviewed. Websites from companies around the world were also examined. Condoms advertised include Trojan, Durex, LifeStyles, Kimono and Pronto. Typical ads showed images of the product, the packaging and/or people. Advertising approaches varied, depending on the target audience, the brand and/or where the ad appeared. Generally, specific references to pregnancy prevention or disease prevention/safe sex were avoided. This review of advertising would be useful to high school health teachers and to health educators who teach sexuality, disease prevention or consumer health at the college/university level. Critiquing these ads in an educational setting would also be helpful in enhancing media literacy and health literacy.