The archive · Content & Film · Marketing decision · 2021
Sidaction splices condoms into iconic film sex scenes so protection is unforgettable
Sidaction and The Good Company re-edited 20 famous movie and series sex scenes to include condoms, so young people finally see protection on screen.
Sidaction
What it had to solve
66% of young people admit they do not always use protection and many think HIV is a thing of the past, yet the films and series they love almost never show a condom being used. Sidaction, France's most established HIV/AIDS organisation, needed to take action.
How it works
66% of young people admit they don't always use protection and many think HIV is a thing of the past. Yet the films and series young audiences love almost never show a condom being used, so Sidaction — France's most established HIV/AIDS organisation — set out to put the missing gesture back on screen.
The Good Company created 20 new clips for Sidaction that splice condom use into some of the most iconic and unforgettable sex scenes from cult films and series. Each insertion was calibrated to its original scene's sound, rhythm, composition and colour grading, so the condom looks as if it had been there all along.
Released as Unforgettables, the clips invite viewers to recognise the film or series they belong to, turning beloved scenes into a playful reminder of prevention. The campaign launched on World AIDS Day 2021 and the work is filed in the D&AD awards archive.
Why it lands
- Inserting condoms into scenes young people already love corrects the exact gap: on-screen sex almost never shows protection.
- Calibrating every clip to its original scene makes the addition feel native, so the message rides the emotion of the film.
- Turning the clips into a guessing game makes prevention content something to share and play rather than a lecture.
- Launching on World AIDS Day ties the content to a moment when HIV prevention is already in the news.
What it did
The missing gesture of protection was put back into the sex scenes young people remember, making safe sex part of the stories they watch. The work is filed in the D&AD awards archive.
What you can take
When a behaviour is absent from the culture young people consume, put the behaviour inside the culture they already watch and the message travels on scenes they cannot forget.
Since then
Unforgettables launched around World AIDS Day on 1 December 2021 with online, social and influencer distribution in France, redirecting young viewers to information about protection such as PrEP. D&AD's awards archive records the concept but no behaviour-change metrics; the transferable mechanic is editing the missing protective gesture into the most memorable sex scenes audiences already know.
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