Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and comedian Samay Raina have teamed up for Bold Care’s new commercial, promoting the brand’s condoms with their unapologetic humour. The commercial, with over six million views on Instagram within just two days of its release, has left the audience in splits.
Written by one of Bold Care’s co-founders, Rahul Krishnan, the spot is packed with sharp humour, punchlines, and funny digs.
The duo’s fiery back-and-forth roasts cover everything — from Kashyap’s delayed film releases and divorce to Raina’s Ranveer Allahbadia controversy. But, in the end, it was all tied back to the product.
The dialogues are punchy, fast-paced, and delivered without a filter, giving the campaign a rawness edge that most traditional Indian ads lack.
Fans are lauding Raina’s raw, unfiltered delivery, with many even calling him the face of a new wave in advertising culture.
Beyond the laughs, the campaign has generated significant online buzz for how it stretches the limits of conventional Indian advertising. Because this isn’t just another condom ad, it signifies that the landscape of promoting condoms is changing.
A long-standing challenge
Advertising condoms in India has long been a challenging task. For decades, brands like Manforce and Skore had to tiptoe around cultural sensitivities. Earlier, condom commercials were always awkward to watch on television with family due to their suggestive visuals and the taboo surrounding sex.
Therefore, these ads often relied on innuendo. And, hence, were quickly forgotten.
However, in recent years, a noticeable shift has taken place, driven by changing attitudes among urban youth, the rise of social media, and a new generation of creators unafraid to speak openly about sex and wellness.
Brands like Bold Care and Durex are at the core of this shift.
They have embraced humour, bold language, and influencer-led storytelling to normalise the conversation around condoms.
“Before the pandemic, condom ads were mostly limited to cautious, government-approved messaging around family planning. But today, with rapid digital growth and evolving mindsets, brands like Skore, Manforce, Kamasutra, and Durex are leading a powerful shift—celebrating confidence, pleasure, and genuine connection through bold, relatable campaigns,” said Grishma Uchil, a PR professional.
“These ads now embrace humour, inclusivity, and everyday intimacy, empowering individuals to make informed choices while normalising sexual wellness,” she added.
Durex’s social media posts on any and every buzzing event often leave the audience in splits. From Taylor Swift’s engagement to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning the IPL after 18 years, their cheeky takes have always made headlines. And, are remembered even months later.
In a market often governed by safe-messaging and family-friendly tones, brands like Bold Care and Durex lean into humour, controversy, and cultural commentary to break through the noise and consistently push the envelope when it comes to advertising.
As for Bold Care, bringing Raina and Kashyap to talk about condoms isn’t their first brush with boldness. The brand has consistently aligned itself with unfiltered voices and unconventional creators.
But, what brought them overnight popularity was the Ranveer Singh and Johnny Sins campaign, which broke the internet and redefined what bold marketing could look like in India.
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‘Bold marketing’
The Ranveer Singh-Johnny Sins campaign was unexpected, irreverent, and brilliantly strategic. By bringing these two vastly different personalities together, the brand created an ad which sparked instant chatter. Though the reactions were a mix of positive and negative, it was impossible to ignore.
What made it even more effective was that, for once, a brand openly and loudly spoke about destigmatising men’s sexual health.
Bold Care is using celebrity self-awareness, sarcasm, some jokes, and a touch of controversy to keep the conversation going. Now, their recent commercial with Kashyap and Raina follows the same template.
The brand is tapping into this larger shift in Indian advertising where relatability, political incorrectness, and rawness are beginning to matter more than glossy perfection.
Today’s condom ads are more direct, engaging, and culturally aware. They reference real-life issues, controversies, and even roast their own brand ambassadors, all while keeping the product front and centre.
The tone has shifted from cautious to confident.
This evolution signals a broader cultural change: sex is no longer whispered about; it’s being memed, joked about, and discussed openly.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)