20 years of selling condoms

KamaSutra (KS) was launched with a bold campaign in 1991, at a time when sex was still taboo. What was the idea behind it? In those days, condom use wasn't talked about. We realised that if we wanted to get into that category, we had to do it properly. We wanted a loud campaign that would get us noticed. We needed a sex symbol to launch our brand and hit upon Pooja Bedi. She had a great face for KS and along with model Marc Robinson, they became part of the sensual ad. Did you have any apprehensions? We brought sex out of the closet and addressed real issues. Society is far more liberal today 20 years on. Talking about sex and condoms isn't taboo anymore. What was the reaction you got? I think people were surprised that we were addressing the issue head on. The ads faced resistance and some media channels refused to carry it. However, I think we did the right thing and today KS is the number one brand. How does KS stand out from the various condom brands that have flooded the market? Our brand is different. We have stuck to our tagline of the 'pleasure of making love.' While research showed condoms were considered intrusive, we wanted our consumers to know you could feel good. This has worked for the last 20 years. What are the other products of the brand? KS also has a line of deodorants that are popular. There are also specific products like a honeymoon pack containing fun games for couples. And there's the Kamal- ounge, an online store and interactive site to engage consumers. Finally why are the current lot of advertisements not as bold as they once were? When we launched, the environment was very different and we needed something drastic to break into the market. The advertising today is in line with the market needs.