# Was this Trojan Condom commercial a controversial ad when it first came out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [March 27, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-trojan-condom-commercial-a-controversial-ad-when-it-first-came-out/961802 "2022-03-27T21:22:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-trojan-condom-commercial-a-controversial-ad-when-it-first-came-out/961802/1 "2022-03-27T21:22:32Z")
Continuing the discussion from [YouTube Cleaning Porn](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-cleaning-porn/961758/10): According to the caption for this video, it was the first time condoms were advertised on television, in 1975. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VXo-1d-5tEc/hqdefault.jpg "The First Condoms advertising on TV - "Trojan" 1975") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXo-1d-5tEc) It uses a well-known Bible passage from Ecclesiastes. The fact that they were advertising condoms on television at _all_ had to have been controversial in 1975, the same year that “The Pill” by Loretta Lynn was banned by more than 80 radio stations from Boston all the way down to the South, right? And I imagine the fact that they used a Bible passage made it even _more_ controversial? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-trojan-condom-commercial-a-controversial-ad-when-it-first-came-out/961802/2 "2022-03-27T22:16:34Z")
Shows you how much I paid attention in Religious Instruction (got nicely kicked out when I was about 7-- long story), the first thing I thought of was Rapper’s Delight. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-trojan-condom-commercial-a-controversial-ad-when-it-first-came-out/961802/3 "2022-03-27T22:16:53Z")
It was also the lyrics to a popular song by the Byrds in 1965. I think that was the audience they were trying to reach. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2022, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-trojan-condom-commercial-a-controversial-ad-when-it-first-came-out/961802/4 "2022-03-27T23:03:16Z")
In some ways broadcast television in 1975 was more sexually tolerant and permissive than in 2022. We had topless breast exam demos on the 5:00 news. Women’s nipples were evident beneath sweaters and blouses on prime time TV shows. Without lopsided competition from uncensored cable TV, broadcasters pushed the envelope in the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-trojan-condom-commercial-a-controversial-ad-when-it-first-came-out/961802/5 "2022-03-28T00:53:45Z")
The National Association of Broadcasters code at that time prohibited the advertising of condoms - also hard liquor, doctors and lawyers services and a number of other things. Condoms weren’t advertised on _network_ television until 1991. (Naturally, the first network to accept them was Fox.) According to Broadcasting Magazine, the Trojan commercial was first carried on only two TV stations in 1975 (although they did squeak on to three more by the end of the year.) The first time the commercial aired on TV, the magazine reported [the station received 100 protest calls.](https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/75-OCR/1975-07-28-BC-OCR-Page-0025.pdf#search=%22condoms%22) A few weeks later, the magazine published [an editorial calling the advertising of condoms in poor taste and urging radio and tv stations to reject it.](https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/75-OCR/1975-08-11-BC-OCR-Page-0058.pdf#search=%22condoms%22) And then gave the creator of the commercials [a full page to reply.](https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/75-OCR/1975-11-24-BC-OCR-Page-0062.pdf#search=%22condoms%22) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2022, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-this-trojan-condom-commercial-a-controversial-ad-when-it-first-came-out/961802/6 "2022-03-28T00:58:54Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Women’s nipples were evident beneath sweaters and blouses on prime time TV shows [I’m pretty sure that never stopped.](https://pics.me.me/thumb_how-to-keep-generations-of-men-watching-tv-shows-cheers-53930533.png)