Despite Durex’s decades-long presence in bedrooms worldwide, most people are unaware of the true meaning of the brand.
Most adults are familiar with the product, but you may not have given the word any consideration other than the fact that it means “durable,” which is not really what the manufacturers wanted you to understand.
Read on to find out more.
Founded as the London Rubber firm in 1915, the renowned condom firm has been in business for almost a century. It didn’t change its name until 1929, and by the 1950s, it had completely turned its attention to condoms.
Durex has led numerous industry advancements over the course of its lengthy existence. For example, it was the first to develop anatomically shaped designs, the first to produce electronically tested condoms, and one of the first companies to promote internationally in the 1970s.
According to the company’s history page, it has broadened its product line by the late 1990s and early 2000s to include latex-free choices, flavored and colored condoms, lubricants, and textured variations like ribbed and dotted.
Even so, many individuals have never given any thought to what Durex genuinely stands for, despite the company’s widespread influence.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not short for “during sex.”
The BBC claims that Durability, Reliability, and Excellence—the company’s core values—are cleverly incorporated into the name Durex.
Many people online were caught off guard by the discovery. One user confessed, “I always thought it meant ‘durable,'” while others made a joke about thinking it was a sneaky reference to an ex.
One lady, who discovered the phenomenon while researching branding, likened it to the way some names become verbs, such as “Googling.” “Durex itself represents something,” she wrote. “Excellence, dependability, and durability.”
“Call me a Durex-beast in bed then!” joked another person. Haha.
The Conversation claims that Lucian Landau, a Polish student of rubber technology, is credited with coming up with the name of the brand. Landau’s early interest in the science of latex finally led to Durex’s autonomous manufacturing in 1932.
“We’ve been making condoms with the finest raw materials since 1929, so we know a thing or two about performance — and not just in the bedroom (or wherever you’re doing it),” Durex proudly says on its website today.
Our condoms surpass international quality requirements and are dermatologist-tested for comfort and electronically checked for holes, allowing everyone to have satisfying sex with anyone, wherever,” the statement continues.
There you have it: excellence, dependability, and durability. An unexpectedly moral beginning for a product that is anything from dull.
