I+D en packaging: PRONTO applicator condoms

Let's Get It On - Condom Applicator Wins Design Prize

Earlier this month there was a surprise winner of the Most Beautiful category at the Design Indaba awards in South Africa - a condom applicator was chosen by the Dutch designer Jurgen Bey. Beauty and condoms have never been intrinsically linked in my mind, but then again a device which encourages the use of condoms, the practice of safe sex and the prevention of the spread of HIV/Aids does seem like a beautiful idea. For some couples putting on a condom is a quick and painless action before the main event, for others it's a fiddly and awkward task best avoided for fear of ruining the heat of moment. The Pronto condom ,invented by Willem van Rensburg (back in 2001) and designed by industrial designer Roelf Mulder of South Africa’s XYZ Design, was created to make the crucial act of putting on a condom as smooth as possible.

From the demonstration videos, the Pronto condom looks like a brilliant device. Thanks to a small plastic ring (pictured above), with just a snap and a click of the condom packet the condom can be applied in a second. We can't help wondering though, when the fallic carrot is gone, it is as easy as it looks when you really want to get it on? Pronto Condoms are available to buy in South Africa from all major pharmacies. (Ver)