– Use a condom on your p***k and a condom on your f***e.
That was the message when the Norwegian Directorate of Health launched a new campaign last week to combat the country’s record-breaking gonorrhea infection.
TV 2 wrote that the condom campaign should target young people between the ages of 18 and 29 on their favorite social media.
– We mainly use ads on Snapchat and Tinder, but we also use other banner ads in messages, for example about study exams, Russian time and sexual health, said Arild Johan Myrberg, Senior Advisor at the Health Directorate.
But now an actor has set the wheels in motion for the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s information mission.
– Problem
No “competition” with Tinder. They do not approve the campaign for use in their app.
– We swiped right, but they swiped left, says communications director Stein-Gunner Pontevik, who received his first rejection on Tinder.
Now he has come out strongly against the dating app, accusing it of hindering the preventive work of health authorities.
– We don’t do this for fun. This information is essential for public health. The problem is that the central actors do not let us in.
Rejected: Director of Communications at the Directorate of Health requires Tinder to come up with a good reason for being rejected. Photo: Ronald Johansson
Important message
For NOK 100,000, the Directorate of Health has developed campaign materials promoting condom use.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and media group Shipstead, has endorsed the campaign.
The competition with Tinder was the most favored by health officials.
– We have a situation where we have to prevent a further increase in gonorrhea in Norway. Getting this message across is critical, and Tinder is an important partner in the campaign to reach the right target group, Bondevik adds:
– It’s serious if officials are silenced by social media.
Controversial: The Health Directorate acknowledges the presence of express language, but believes it is needed. Photo: Directorate of Health
Expressive language
Rejecting Tinder isn’t fair. TV2 has seen the rejection Tinder sent to the health directorate and has referred questions to the company, which did not comment.
– Suzanne Bettam, communications consultant at Slager on behalf of Tinder owner Match Group, said we do not comment on ongoing discussions about business collaborations.
However, the Norwegian Directorate of Health recognizes that the language in the campaign is transparent and difficult to deal with.
– But it’s suitable for the target group, and it needs to attract a certain amount of attention, says Bondevik.
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