Trojan (condoms)
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| Trojan Brand Condoms | |
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| Current owner | Church and Dwight |
| Country of origin | 1920 -  United States |
| Markets | world |
| Previous owners | 1920 - Youngs Drug Products 1985 - Carter-Wallace Inc 2001 Church and Dwight |
| Website | Trojan Brand Condoms - Official website |
Trojan is a brand name of condoms manufactured by the Church & Dwight Company. The various types of Trojan condoms account for 70.5 percent of condom sales in drugstores in the United States, giving the brand more than four times the market share of runner-up Durex.[1] Trojan brand condoms claim to be "trusted for 80 years" as "America's #1 condom".
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[edit] History
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
The Trojan condom brand debuted in 1920 and were manufactured by Young's Rubber which was owned by Merle Leland Young from New York. By stressing quality and tough pharmacy only laws that forbid the selling of condoms anywhere but pharmacies insured that Young's brand had a virtual monopoly in condom sales.[1] Young's Rubbers were renamed Young's Drug Products Corporation which was in turn bought by the huge drug conglomerate, Carter-Wallace Inc in 1985. In turn, Carter-Wallace Inc sold its consumer-products arm to Church & Dwight, home to the Brillo and Arm & Hammer brands, in 2001 for $739 million.[1] It was the first to air a TV-commercial on American television. San Francisco's KRON-TV aired three 15-second spots on February 1987.[2]
[edit] Branding
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The brand's mascot, Trojan Man, wears a golden Greek style breastplate and helmet. He appears in cartoon advertising in prints, and in a number of television advertisements. When Merle Leland Youngs created his company condom manufactures used seedy packaging to promote their wares. Youngs knew that to break through to the main stream consumers he needed an austere packaging emblazoned with nothing but the company logo. He picked the Trojan helmet, a symbol which he was convinced would portray protection and virility..
[edit] In popular culture
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Mentioned in the 1982 Prince song, "Little Red Corvette", "..she had a pocket full of horses, Trojans, some of them used.."
Mentioned in the 1981 Mel Brooks film History of the World, Part I when the group is chased by several Roman soldiers through the streets of the city a Roman soldier ask a salesman about them (I'm looking for a pack of trojans) because their clothes and the man says "Man, I just ran out!".
Mentioned in the Billy Joel song "Keeping the Faith", "...took a fresh pack of Luckies and a mint called Sen-Sen, my old man's Trojans and his Old Spice aftershave..."
In the Simpsons episode, "Tales from the Public Domain", the line "Now throughout history when people get wood, they'll think of Trojans" is a reference to this brand of condoms.
The title of the 1997 movie "Trojan War" is a reference to this brand of condoms, as the plot of the movie involves one guy's search for a condom.
Mentioned in the 2005 movie The 40 Year Old Virgin, during Steve Carell's first encounter with condoms, while struggling to put one on, when he asks his girlfriend, "Do you mind if I use your Magnum?" He is able to fit the Magnum over his whole arm, and down to his elbow.
[edit] Ad campaigns
[edit] Trojan Games
In 2003, in order to launch Trojan in the United Kingdom, a humorous fake official web site for the so-called Trojan Games was created. The Trojan Games were supposedly an international sporting event similar to the Olympics and taking place in Bucharest. The sports were based on sexual performance. As of Nov 2006 the various "Trojan Games" videos have been viewed 300 million times. [3]
[edit] Trojan Tales
The Trojan Company launched a site to help promote Trojan Condoms, Trojan Tales.com. The site is humorous in nature, but many sexual references are made.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Brendan I. Koerner (Sept. 29, 2006, at 12:32). The Other Trojan War - What's the best-selling condom in America? (HTML). Slate. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
- ^ Ads That Shatter an Old Taboo (1987). Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
- ^ Lucas, Dean (2007-03-4). Famous Pictures Magazine - Trojan Games (HTML). Famous Pictures Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-07-21.
