As the (possible) end of lockdown looms in many countries, most brands are cautiously looking to the future as a return to doing all the things we enjoy again. However, Durex is taking a different approach with a global campaign that says "let's not go back to normal." 

The Reckitt Benckiser condom brand is looking at lockdown as an opportunity to change people's behavior and "reset" norms such as men making poor excuses for not wearing condoms, shaming women for carrying them and "unnecessary" STIs. Its new campaign, created via Havas London, highlights some of these "norms" from our previous lives adding lines such as "Sure it's been pretty weird lately...but weirdly that's what makes 2020 so important. So when it's time to get back on the streets and jump between the sheets, let's not go back to normal."

“Everyone is talking about going back to normal. But nobody is questioning whether we should," said Reckitt Benckiser's global category director, sexual wellbeing, Ben Wilson, in a statement. "Truth is, ‘normal’ is rooted in a lot of outdated conventions and when it comes to sex, we can do better. The current crisis is a unique chance to reset what ‘normal’ looks like, and we’re taking it upon ourselves to challenge that normal, because nobody should want to go back to a world that wasn’t working for everyone.”

The campaign will be running across social an digital channels initially, with an outdoor element planned for later on when lockdown is eased. Different executions may run across different markets but the same message will be used worldwide.