A new campaign by Havas Lynx UK uses humour, music, and an unlikely Viking character to encourage blokes to recognise erectile dysfunction as a potential early warning sign of cardiovascular disease.
Today is World Heart Day, observed annually to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and promote preventive heart health. As it’s the leading cause of death globally, claiming around 17.9 million lives each year, you’d think we’d know more about it. But perhaps it’s one of those things we just don’t like to think about.
So for this year’s event, JOE Media Group has launched a new heart-health awareness campaign to highlight something important for men. Created by Havas Lynx UK, it introduces Jordic (pronounced “YOR-dik”), an animated Viking messenger who gives a voice to the part of the body blokes may be least willing to discuss. His message, sung loud and clear in an animated short, aims to get more men talking about erectile dysfunction (ED), as it can be an early sign of underlying cardiovascular disease.
To make the point, Jordic takes centre stage in an epic folk-style song and music video, using humour to challenge the shame and stigma surrounding this condition. Backed by a merry band of Viking pals, Jordic delivers his warning: “When I’m low, can’t grow, don’t doubt, find out…If this problem down below is telling you something you need to know.” And yes, his character and pretty much everything else in the animation are shaped like, ahem, penises.
It’s about reframing erectile dysfunction from a source of embarrassment into a potentially useful health signal – evidence that the body may need a check-up. “Sometimes, the most important health message is the one we’re least comfortable hearing – and men, in particular, aren’t always great at listening to those messages,” says Paul McDonnell from JOE. “That’s what we really liked about the ‘Listen to Jordic’ campaign. It takes an issue that can feel embarrassing or ‘unmanly’ and approaches it in a light-hearted, disarming way, without losing the seriousness of the message behind it.”
“Jordic is essentially your best mate looking out for you,” he adds, “telling you something you might not necessarily want to hear, but something that could genuinely save your life. If we can use JOE’s platform to get more men to listen, get a quick check and find out what’s going on, then hopefully we can make a real difference.”
Yes, it’s charming and funny. I’m getting flashbacks to Austin Powers and Beavis and Butthead, and all that harmless nonsense. But behind the phallic daftness lies a serious health message: erectile dysfunction can precede heart symptoms by two to five years. So book an appointment with your GP, lads. And don’t hang about. Hang about? Get it. OK. Jokes aside. That warning frequently goes unheard. Research found that 63% of men experiencing problems down there have never spoken to a doctor about it. Partly because they have no idea it could mean something more serious. In fact, 78% of 2,000 men surveyed in the UK were unaware it can signal an underlying heart problem. It’s worrying when coronary heart disease is the UK’s leading cause of death in men, claiming around 41,000 lives each year.
“We know that erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease often share common vascular origins,” says Vernon Bainton, chief medical officer at Havas Lynx. “Crucially, ED can be an early warning, sometimes emerging years before a more serious cardiovascular event. While ED is not a definitive indicator of heart disease, it is a signal that should never be ignored or sidelined by stigma. By normalising this conversation, ‘Listen to Jordic’ bridges a vital gap, empowering men to recognise these signals correctly and take the proactive step of consulting a healthcare professional.”
Alongside the animated film is a dedicated website, ListenToJordic.com, where you can find out more about the connection between ED and cardiovascular health and understand when to seek medical advice. Which leaves us with one last rallying cry from Jordic: “I’m telling you now, I’m begging you, please, erectile dysfunction could be heart disease”.
The video launches today on World Heart Day and was created by Havas Lynx UK for JOE Media Group. Lightfarm Studios produced the film, with music by Jamute.
