From our start on a Boston campus to a footprint that spans the globe, we’re making history while making a difference. With nearly four decades of firsts and a focus on the future, we remain unwavering to our mission:
To innovate, educate and engage in order to make safer sex second nature.
Davin Wedel, Founder and CEO
Most companies can’t say it all started with a custom condom matchbook on a college campus, but most companies aren’t us.
In 1987, when the country was in the throes of the AIDS Epidemic, the US Surgeon General made clear the unvarnished facts about the virus, warned against the social stigma, and encouraged the use of condoms.
Davin, a sophomore at Tufts University in Boston, wanted to join the advocacy effort and promote sexual safety on campus. He and a classmate came up with a clever promotion: the “Happy Jumbo”. They featured the Tufts mascot, Jumbo the elephant, on a condom matchbook with the slogan “A Safe Jumbo is a Happy Jumbo". The fun approach broke through.
Soon after, Global Protection Corp. was founded with its original line of promotional products, Custom Condoms®. The company made it possible for any organization to promote safer sex.
With innovation as a core, we creatively expanded condom options and access in the 1990s to better reach and engage consumers.
In addition to its custom offering, GPC introduced fun novelty items like condom Smiley Pops. The company succeeded in convincing gift and convenience stores to dedicate shelf space to these products for the first time. In doing so, GPC broke down more barriers and brought condoms out from behind the counter.
By 1991, the company was ready to push limits once again with the Greenwich Village opening of Condomania®, the first condom retail store in the US. The bold launch garnered worldwide press and further propelled the public dialogue about condoms and safer sex.
Next, GPC set its sights on meeting consumer needs and sparking interest through advanced technology and premium products.
Early brand launches included the uniquely shaped Pleasure Plus® and Night Light®, the first FDA cleared glow-in-the dark condom.
This allowed GPC to expand beyond specialty retailers and begin exploring distribution through mass, food and drug chains.
From the beginning, we embraced our public sector partnerships – because their mission of education and advocacy is our mission, too.
Since its early days, GPC has shared its expertise in promoting safer sex with public sector customers, helping them engage with their communities about condom use and sexual health responsibility.
Through the introduction of beloved characters like Jimmy, the company’s condom mascot, and Myrtle, its irreverent quality queen, GPC produced essential education materials and creative outreach to support public sector partners in their efforts.
Health educators rely on on these materials and GPC’s innovative products to serve as icebreakers and facilitate open dialogue. The company also secured master distribution relationships with leading industry brands in order to offer the best selection of discounted sexual health products.
By the late 1990s, GPC was the largest public sector condom distributor in the US, fulfilling national, regional, state, and municipal contracts.
We entered the new millennium with the wind at our back, recognized for both our fast growth and our commitment to mission.
By the early 2000s, GPC was drawing accolades for its ambition and advocacy. For three years starting in 2002, GPC made Inc. magazine’s list of the 100 fastest-growing inner city companies in the US. And for its 25th anniversary issue in 2004, Inc. honored Davin as one of its “25 entrepreneurs we love”. The publication highlighted his purpose driven work and his passion to advance sexual health safety. 2004 would prove to be a consequential year for GPC.
With the launch of ONE® Condoms in 2004, we embarked on our next phase and set the stage for the decades to come.
Built on the bedrocks of innovation and cultural relevance, ONE®, GPC’s award-winning signature brand, reflects Davin’s deep industry expertise and sexual health advocacy.
With its revolutionary round art foils, ONE® quickly emerged as a trailblazing premium brand. And in 2013, the line extended into personal lubricants.
The essence of the brand is its cultural resonance, blending product innovation with relevant art, music and fashion influences in order to drive individual and community engagement. Everyone is encouraged to be a part of ONE®.
In 2017, its 30th year in business, GPC pushed boundaries once more by introducing a Custom Fit™ option to the lineup with the launch of MyONE®. The headline grabbing development broke ground by offering over 50 sizes for customization in order to tackle the biggest issue with condoms. Poor fit.
Made from premium materials and using leading edge manufacturing technology, ONE® products offer more variety and sizes than any other condom brand. From modern science’s most advanced discoveries to unique features like tattoos and studs, the brand is constantly reimagining the conventional condom.
Aiming to meet consumer needs and drive engagement, ONE® couples art and science to maximize impact. In the process, it’s writing the next chapter in sexual health advocacy and the promotion of safer sex.
In charting our path for global growth, we leverage the capabilities of Karex, a trusted lifelong manufacturing partner.
Following decades of successful collaboration, GPC and Karex formalized their partnership in order expand the ONE® brand around the globe. Karex purchased an initial stake in 2014, and GPC became a full subsidiary in 2020.
The synergy between GPC and Karex drives innovation. From the redesigned machinery for ONE® Condoms’ distinctive round foils, to the production technology that enhances their comfort, to the in house engineering for MyONE® customization, to the proprietary formulations for lubricant offerings.
Today, GPC remains the largest distributor of condoms and lubricants to the US public sector.
Along with its original Custom Condoms®, the company has built a robust private label and store brand business by leveraging leading edge manufacturing and distribution capabilities.
ONE® products are available through major retailers and etailers across North America and expanding rapidly throughout Europe and Asia. And the brand’s impactful go-to-market approach allows it to be both local and global, finding the sweet spot between relevance and reach.
Much has changed since the flight of the first Jumbo. Global Protection's innovative products have shaped the way condoms are viewed in popular culture, demonstrating that private entities can advance public advocacy. This integrated approach – combining cultural influences, social marketing, leading edge products, and educational resources – remains the foundation of the company.