Durex has been a staple in bedrooms around the world for decades, but most people have no idea what the brand name really means.
It is an item most adults are familiar with but perhaps you never thought much about the name beyond it mean “durable” but that is not really what the makers intended to convey.
Keep reading to learn more.
The iconic condom company has been around for more than a century, originally launching as the London Rubber Company in 1915. It wasn’t until 1929 that it adopted the name Durex, and by the 1950s, it had fully shifted its focus toward condoms.
Throughout its long history, Durex has pioneered countless innovations in the industry: it was the first to introduce electronically tested condoms, the first to create anatomically shaped designs, and one of the earliest brands to advertise globally in the 1970s.
By the late ’90s and early 2000s, it had expanded its lineup to include latex-free options, colorful and flavored condoms, as well as lubricants and textured varieties like ribbed and dotted, per the company’s history page.
Still, despite Durex’s global dominance, many people have never stopped to ask: what does the name actually stand for?
No, it’s not short for “during sex”; a surprisingly common misconception.
According to the BBC, the name Durex is actually a clever acronym for the company’s founding values: Durability, Reliability, and Excellence.
The revelation has taken many online by surprise. “I always thought it meant ‘durable,’” one person admitted, while others joked that they assumed it was some kind of sly nod to an ex.
One woman, who came across the fact while studying branding, compared it to how some names evolve into verbs, like “Googling.” “Even Durex stands for something,” she wrote. “Durability, reliability and excellence.”
Another user quipped: “Call me a Durex-beast in bed then! Hahaha.”
According to The Conversation, the brand’s name is credited to Lucian Landau, a Polish student of rubber technology whose early interest in the science of latex eventually led to Durex’s independent manufacturing in 1932.
Today, Durex proudly states on its website: “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).
Our condoms are electronically tested for holes, dermatologically tested for comfort, and they outperform global quality standards, so everyone everywhere is free to enjoy sex that feels good with anyone, anywhere,” it adds.
So there you have it: Durability, Reliability, Excellence. A surprisingly wholesome origin story for a product that’s anything but boring.
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