At ACE PR, we’re not afraid to challenge taboos. That’s why we love to work for EasyToys, one of our cheekiest clients. When asked to join the mission of Uranus, to voyage into unchartered territory, we couldn’t wait to step aboard. The outcome: great results among key media! Account Lead Mirjana Babic elaborates:
“The world of male pleasure is often confined by unspoken rules, one of the biggest taboos being anal stimulation. According to EasyToys, such taboos come at a loss: insecurities and self doubt are frequent consequences. Even though lots of men are quite curious, they never dare to experiment. To tackle this issue, EasyToys partnered up with Spanish agency ‘Officer & Gentleman’, and launched the creative campaign ‘Explore Uranus’. Whilst centering a one of a kind ‘Asstronaut’, the campaign chose a lighthearted way to highlight a taboo.”
“As an explorer, the Asstronaut symbolized the discovery of anal pleasure. His mission was to invite men on a safe journey of exploration, guided by humor and consistent, positive communication. Our mission was to bring this campaign to the Netherlands, planting EasyToys’ flag (or mission) in our society.”
Could you elaborate: how does one normalise such a topic?
“Normalisation takes time and a layered communication strategy. We phased our tactics, so each message could build on the previous one:
- Creating awareness: meant to expose the taboo
- Creating visibility: meant to get conversations flowing
- Changing the narrative: meant to debunk false facts and highlight ‘the fun’
“The first phase builds upon insights from the National Sex Survey*. To illustrate: 62 percent of the Dutch perceive anal stimulation to be a taboo topic. At the same time, 59 percent admit to being open to the exploration of anal stimulation. Supporting the campaign message, the data proved crucial for PR.”
*Based on national research, N = 1.050.
“To create visibility during the second phase, we mixed humor with bravado. The campaign mascot - the Asstronaut - made his appearance at popular locations, such as Scheveningen beach, arriving from the sky with a pink parachute. Supported by a team distributing pamphlets - or better said, tickets to Uranus - the landing sparked interest among curious onlookers.”
“In the third phase, we wanted to strengthen our message and master a new narrative on the matter of anal stimulation. We needed a ‘vibe shift’: less risk and more fun! Brand ambassador and professional sexologist Eveline Stallaart offered expert advice in media outlets like LINDA. and NU.nl, debunking falsehoods around anal stimulation. Besides that, using their own channels, EasyToys’ own ‘asspert’, The Asstronaut, answered questions and shared tips for everybody in need of more information.”
What was the outcome of this strategy?
“The campaign was a success! We gained visibility across local, news and lifestyle media. Our work was covered by mainstream outlets, such as NU.nl, LINDA., FunX, &C and Adformatie. Our total estimated reach accumulated to a broad 17.606.173! These media joined our narrative and helped EasyToys’ mission to get a conversation flowing around anal play - and to make the topic more socially accepted.”
“As if that wasn’t enough, our campaign was subsequently nominated for a SAN award, a crown to our work.”
What was the biggest challenge for the campaign and how did you overcome this?
“It’s never easy to break a taboo or to alter social norms completely. Besides, topics like these can be a target for scrutiny. Whereas our message hit the interest of most media, some journalists still seemed a bit reluctant. However, it’s all about preparation, so we can still conclude that the campaign hit the right tone. By combining facts and expertise with humor and lightness, the Uranus campaign proved that it’s possible to open a conversation and to embrace the topic of anal play - and that’s a conquest on its own!”