Of all the things AI has generated lately, Ad Nut expected
the last to be sexually transmitted diseases brought to life as STI monsters.
Repulsive? Absolutely. But not a bad use of AI to hammer home an important message.
The new campaign for Four Seasons Naked Condoms responds to rising STI rates among Gen Z by turning the potential consequences of unsafe sex into grotesque cinematic monsters invading the real world. It’s a bold move that makes the risks of unsafe sex feel immediate and hard to ignore
Common STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea are depicted as monsters, with the film titled 'The Rise of the STIs' opening on a young couple in bed. When the girl asks, “So, do you want to put a condom on?” the guy replies: “C’mon, really? What’s the worst that could happen?” Cue the STI monsters in the form of a giant baby kaiju and other hideous personifications of chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis tearing through streets and buildings.
The campaign lands at a time when STI rates continue to rise. Data from the Kirby Institute shows more than 101,000 chlamydia cases in Australia in 2024, with around half among 20-to-29-year-olds, alongside rising gonorrhoea infections. Research from La Trobe University also found condom use is falling, with more than half of young Australians not using one the last time they had sex.
“STI rates are rising, particularly among young Australians,
and traditional messaging isn’t cutting through,” said Michael Porter, director
at Four Seasons Condoms. “We needed to create something people would actually
engage with, using entertainment to make the risks feel real, not abstract.”
The campaign launches on Snapchat, meeting Gen Z where they already spend time.
“We didn’t want to make a film and then cut it down for social. The whole thing was built to exist in feeds from the start," says Gavin McLeod, CCO of Emotive. "That meant building a system of social-first pieces designed to spark conversation, not just deliver a message.”
Ad Nut is a bit of a prude, so this made for uncomfortable viewing in parts. But even Ad Nut can see the value here. Rather than falling back on familiar public service messaging, the campaign uses cinematic storytelling and absurd humour to make the risks of unsafe sex feel immediate and hard to ignore. It’s a rare example of AI being used constructively, and, on balance, an effective way to talk to an attention-starved Gen Z audience.
CREDITS
Client: Four Seasons Naked Condoms
Creative Agency: Emotive
AI Film Production: AiCandy Australia
Social AI
Production: Emotive Productions
PR: Emotive
Client: Four Seasons Naked Condoms
Managing Director: Michael
Porter
Creative Agency, Social AI Production & PR: Emotive
CEO & Founder: Simon Joyce
Executive
Strategy Partner: Sebastian Revell
CCO: Gavin McLeod
Creative: Gary Eck
Head of PR & Influencer: Rhania
Farah
Head of Social & Content: Clément Simon
Business Director/s: Zoe Hartas, Tian Skene
General
Manager, Emotive Productions: Hayley-Ritz Pelling
Creative Direction and AI Artists: Paul Sharp, Ed Macaulay,
Imogen
Ramsey, Georgie McCarthy
Head of Design: Daniel Mortensen
Editor: Sam Gadsden
Producer: Michael
Hollis
Post Producer: Rebecca Love-Williams
Sound Design: Electric Sheep Music
AI Film Production: AiCandy
Australia
Head of Production: Kent Boswell
Head of Creative: Marcus Tesoriero
AI Directors: Too Short For
Modelling
Social Media Buying
All Social: Ruud Spierings
 Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland
creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all
over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad
Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad
Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.
|
