According to the NYC Department of Health , “New York City remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S.” The city has more AIDS cases than Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, DC combined and over 100,000 New Yorkers have contracted HIV. Many of them are unaware of it.

That’s why New York needed a new concept. One that is still unique today: New York City created their own branded condoms to give away for free to everyone in need of protection.

The visually attractive NYC Condom and the condom dispenser were created by fuseproject, an industrial design and branding firm with offices in San Francisco and New York:

The final design for the dispenser is vaguely reminiscent of the imprint a condom makes on the outer surface of a wallet. Beyond referencing its contents, its form has the equivalent impact of a fire hydrant or a mailbox – it is immediately recognizable for it’s central function, distributing condoms. It sends the message “take one.” (…)

The NYC Condom

NYC Condom Dispenser Black

NYC Condom Dispenser Silver and Black

NYC Condom Dispenser Silver and Black Front

Black Detail

Silver Detail

NYC Condom Dispenser Silver in a Pink Bar

NYC Condom Dispenser in a Pool Hall

NYC Condom Dispenser at a Minimarket

NYC Condom Dispenser in a Bar

Since the time the NYC Condom was launched, distribution figures skyrocketed: “The total distribution of condoms doubled between 2006 (18 million) and 2007 (36 million). We expected the number to decline in 2008, but thanks to the new branding – package, dispenser, cutting-edge media spots – it surged yet again. We’ve distributed more than 4 million condoms per month this year, so the 2008 total could clear 50 million“, said Geoff Cowley, Associate Commissioner of the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.

For more information about this great campaign, check the links below.

• Check the New York City Condom page
• Official Site: NYC Health
• Design: FuseProject
• Spark Award – Spark!_2008
• ID Magazine Annual Design Competition “Equipment”, 2008
• IDSA – Business Week, Silver Excellence Awards, 2008

Thanks and image credits Fuse