Rap Gets a New Kind of Wrap

A new line of condoms are using hip hop lingo and images to attract teens. Common Ground USA is launching a marketing campaign to promote Jimmie Hatz -- the name's based on a hip hop slang word for condoms -- that includes targeting what they calls the "hip-hop kulture," which is defined as "any group of people -- regardless of race -- that enjoys emceeing, deejaying, breakdancing or 'just loves music.' "

In addition, the rubbers (slogan: "For Players Puttin' in the Real Work") are given hip names like "Great Dane" and "Rottweiler" and come in glossy wrappers featuring with a gruff cartoon dog wearing a thick gold chain, reminding kids of rappers like Snoop Dogg and DMX, who also use dogs in their imagery and marketing.

This is an interesting cross-pollination of sex culture and hip hop, not mention a fine example of creative marketing. However, it raises some issues.

On one hand, parents and educators don't want to encourage underage sex, but many want to teach kids about safe sex so that if the kids do it anyway, they will at least be protected. However, does hipifying the products go too far? Will creating cool condoms cause kids to copulate, or will it simply make it more likely they'll be protected when having sex?

"Basically, what we've tried to do here is make it the cool thing to do, the 'in' thing to do, to protect yourself," Harry Terrell, CEO of Common Ground USA told the folks at FoxNews.com.

At what point does education turn to encouragement; when does cool turn to hot?

"I think they're basically doing what all media tries to do, which is sell something, and teenagers are one of the biggest consumers," said Libby Gray, director of Project Reality, an abstinence-before-marriage advocacy group, to Fox News. "I think that will make sex look very cool ... especially if a rap or hip-hop person ... is giving an endorsement for that behavior."

The company's CEO says that marketing through hip hop aims the product squarely at minority communities that are hardest hit with HIV and AIDS, but with hip hop permiating pop culture nowadays, I think the campaign will resonate more broadly.