FunnyCondoms.com Off and Running ... and Ready for the Election

CYBERSPACE—It all started during the 2008 presidential campaign, when Say It With A Condom founder Benjamin Sherman decided it would be cool to create rubbers that would serve as modern-day campaign buttons. So he came up with a couple of models—an Obama condom with the slogan “The Ultimate Stimulus Package” and McCain rubbers that said “Old But Not Expired”—and began racking up both sales and publicity. “This all began with Barack Obama. If it wasn’t for that man and his use of the word ‘judgment,’ this company wouldn’t have gotten started,” Sherman said. From there, Sherman expanded beyond the political realm using condoms to help his clients start conversations about their brands, products, services and events. Through SayItWithACondom.com, Sherman has worked with a variety of clients, from state and local health departments looking to increase condom usage to college organizations and nonprofits trying to promote safe sex as well as a wide array of clients in a variety of industries seeking a unique way to promote their message. Now Benjamin Sherman has launched a new brand, Funny Condoms™. “Our goal is to marry pop culture and sex by designing condoms that poke fun at today’s trends and other topical issues. We aim to be the first place you think of to get a gift for anyone that could use a laugh,” Sherman said. “These condoms are perfect for a birthday, college dorm room, bachelor/bachelorette party or health clinic giveaway. Funny Condoms are practical and hilarious. They can make someone’s day, help you get laid, or just have a laugh.”At FunnyCondoms.com, pretty much anyone who’s got a few bucks to spare can purchase a pre-designed funny condom that ships for free anywhere in the U.S. For as little as $85, a customer can create his or her own custom message. Using a proprietary printer, Sherman can produce an order as small as 50 custom printed foil condoms in a day or two. FunnyCondoms.com is now live and open for business. “We are going out there to pound the pavement,” Sherman said. “Spreading the word that a ‘message’ can be seen by millions with the help of Funny Condoms.”Sherman stated, “With this new packaging platform Funny Condoms can be tuned into the news cycle, whether it’s making a Tiger Woods condom like we did back in 2009 or doing an Oil Spill condom to help raise funds for the cleanup efforts. Regardless, we’re able to turn around an idea in minutes and have it ready to ship in a day or two, max.” Part of Benjamin Sherman’s goal with FunnyCondoms.com is to expand the market share in retail outlets and to get more wholesale distribution. “We’ve worked with Paradise Marketing,” he said. “Eldorado Trading has worked with us in the past when we originally came to market eight years ago. “We’re really good at creating something that sells, but the distributors—Paradise, Eldorado, Nalpac, Williams Trading—they’re the ones who have the relationships in the marketplace,” he added. After learning from past experiments Sherman has focused on a new point-of-purchase display to make it easier for retail and wholesale clients to display his product. The new display is 13 ½ inches wide by 20 inches tall. It is mounted on a spinner so it can rotate on a counter, allowing for more impulse buys. “There are 20 hooks on each side of the display, so it can show 40 styles. Each hook can hold up to 12 condoms,” Sherman said. One can’t predict which of Sherman’s many designs will end up on those hooks, but it’s safe to say that at least most will be inspired by the current presidential election, and pop culture. During the primary race, Sherman noted, the Bernie Sanders-inspired “Feel the Bern” condom sold over 10,000 pieces. “It’s been a lot of fun watching that condom sell,” he added. And there’s also a model with the slogan “Trusted More Than Hillary.” Sherman admits he gets his best material from Donald Trump and his non sequiturs. One condom shows a Trump caricature with the caption “I’m HUUUUGE,” while another reads, “Make America Erect Again.” “The puns about this guy can go on for days,” Sherman said wryly. “You can tell people they're built like a wall to keep pregnancy and STDs at bay.” As the presidential campaign heats up and running mates are chosen, there should be more fodder for FunnyCondoms.com. “Sarah Palin was a lot of fun to parody eight years back,” Sherman said, recalling the “As Thin As Her Resume” model from 2008. “And now the election is getting trickier, allowing for more puns on pundits, candidates, and pop culture in general.” To take stock of the latest topical twists from Benjamin Sherman and company, go to FunnyCondoms.com.