MTV #USEITDICK - Tennis Player - Ad Analysis

In 2013, getting young people to listen to yet another PSA about safe sex was a monumental challenge. The topic, while critical, was saturated with earnest, preachy, or fear-mongering campaigns that the target audience had long since tuned out. MTV Brazil's '#USEITDICK' campaign, created by agency Loducca, was a direct response to this fatigue. [1] The core insight is simple: to reach a cynical audience, you can't lecture them—you have to entertain them, even if it means being a little dumb.

The execution is a masterclass in controlled absurdity, following a classic setup-turn-payoff structure. The 'Setup' is the first five seconds: a man in dated tennis gear stands awkwardly on a fake court. The muted, retro visual style immediately signals that this isn't reality; it's a stylized joke. The 'Turn' is the voiceover's ridiculous premise: 'He's a tennis player. But he says he's never used his racket. Do I need to use condoms with him?' This line connects the bizarre visual to the ad's real topic, creating a metaphor that is intentionally nonsensical. It's a stupid question, which perfectly primes the audience for the payoff. The 'Payoff' is the blunt, aggressive command: 'Use it, dick!' followed by the hashtag on the tennis ball. This is the punchline and the entire point of the campaign, made explicit by the final line, 'C'mon. Sex only with a condom.' The ad doesn't try to be clever or subtle; it uses a strange and meandering path to deliver an incredibly direct message.

The debrief for this campaign is a lesson in knowing your audience and your brand. MTV understood that its viewers were fluent in the language of internet memes, shareable content, and irreverent humor. The '#USEITDICK' hashtag was engineered for virality on platforms like Twitter. While the approach sacrifices any sense of seriousness, it achieves its primary goal: memorability. In a sea of forgettable PSAs, this one, through its sheer weirdness and audacity, managed to create a sticky message that was perfectly aligned with the provocative MTV brand.