HOUSTON - Strapped Condoms has enlisted hip-hop recording artist Lil Wayne for its "Strapped 4 Life" marketing campaign.
The program was launched to educate youth on behaviors that contribute to the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Marketing Representative Omar Wilson told AVN Novelty Business the company's mission has always been more than just selling condoms.
"Once we started the condom company, we started to get involved with local nonprofit community organizations," he explained. "We realized that this condom industry is more than just trying to get someone to buy or put on a condom. It's about the behavior patterns that promote risky behavior."
The Houston Department of Health and Human Services reported that as many as one in 40 African-Americans in Houston have HIV. The Centers for Disease Control reported that even though African-Americans make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population, they account for about 50 percent of people with HIV and AIDS.
"In the midst of this crisis where HIV and AIDS is the No. 1 killer, where [African-Americans are] concerned, I salute Lil Wayne as an authority figure for taking a stand to inform our people to use Strapped Condoms," CEO James Prince said.
Wilson told ANB the rap star began spreading the word about the manufacturer's condoms on his own long before the campaign started.
"Jas (son of James Prince) happened to meet up with Lil Wayne and gave him some of our condoms," Wilson explained. "The next thing we knew, Lil Wayne was mentioning our condoms in different interviews and how great they were. As time went on, they kept in touch, the interest and support was still there from Wayne, and he basically said he wanted to be down with what we were doing."
The "Strapped 4 Life" campaign begin with advertisements and public service announcements targeting young adults between the ages of 18 and 24. The advertisements will be seen in national periodicals such as Ebony, Maxim, Vibe and Blender. The public service announcements will be seen on networks such as BET, MTV and the Spike Channel.
"The reality is 1 in 5 people have an STD," Wilson said. "On an international scale, HIV is out of hand. So from Strapped, it's part of our corporate responsibility to educate the youth on why these STDs are so high."
