Virtus Health urges Australian men to ‘boost the w@#kforce’ in cheeky ‘Call to Balls’ via Cocogun

Virtus Health (Australia’s largest IVF provider, including IVFAustralia (NSW), Melbourne IVF (VIC), Queensland Fertility Group, and TasIVF), Cocogun and Mica Studios have teamed up to create a light-hearted and highly disruptive take on a serious issue: Australia’s shortage of sperm donors, which impacts couples and individuals who rely on donor sperm to start a family.

To help the campaign cut through, a tongue-in-cheek Churchillian ‘your nation needs you’ tone has been deployed, tugging at men’s sense of compassion, empathy, and love of their country, urging them to ‘roll up their sleeves’ and ‘boost the w@#kforce’.

The playful tone was deliberately chosen to better engage the audience, with testing showing that quips about ‘the w@#kforce’ being at its lowest ebb in years and encouraging men to ‘come w@#k for us’ were seen as the most powerful way to get this important message through to the audience.

The campaign is informed by research, including a survey of 1,011 men which found that while most Australian adults know at least one person or couple struggling with fertility, only 6% of men had donated sperm, highlighting the need for a bold creative to lift consideration.

Independent interviews with past donors uncovered that limited understanding about the sperm donor process, lack of financial compensation, and changes to anonymity laws are key barriers to donating. However, altruism – helping others experience parenthood – remains a strong motivator. Past donor research shows that, like donating blood, this small but important act can have a monumental impact.

Says Virtus Health Chief Marketing & Experience Officer Jane Power: “We intentionally made our Call to Balls big, bold, and difficult to ignore as we urgently need more donors, and greater consideration, to reduce delays for couples and individuals seeking to become parents.

“The bold creative is underpinned by independent research and sector insights. Every day we see women and couples facing the heartbreak of delayed or impossible family-building because donors are in short supply.

“Importantly, the campaign is grounded in responsibility, directing potential donors to an evidence-based website where they can fully understand what sperm donation involves. Donating sperm is a serious decision with long-term implications, and should only be made with proper understanding, time and support to make an informed choice.”

Adds Power: “IVFAustralia’s donor program is vitally important, offering counselling, sensitive care and a safe alternative to informal, online donation arrangements via social media, that sit outside regulated care and can increase risks for vulnerable women.”

Says Cocogun Creative Partner Ant Melder: “The situation is dire. This isn’t a time for Aussie men to sit back, we need them to lean in and lend a hand. To get the numbers back up to where they need to be, we need people w@#king around the clock. If you’re male and aged 21-46, please think about rolling your sleeves up and doing something important for Australia.”

Says David Longden of Mica Studios: “Being given the opportunity to execute a project for a great cause like this is a dream come true for any creative. On first read of the script, our team was giggling – but the significant message was obvious, and we were delighted to be a part of the project. Men, it’s time to act, lend a hand and boost the w@#kforce!”

The campaign launches from today and will run across cinema, radio, online, social and radio.

Client: Virtus Health
Jane Power – Chief Marketing & Experience Officer
Laura Lock – Marketing Communications Manager
Jasmine Ichallalene – Marketing and Campaigns Manager
Phuong Chandler – Head of Donor Program
Rebecca Featherstone – Partnerships Manager

Agency: Cocogun
Ant Melder – Creative Partner
Emily Hahn – General Manager
Shanice Schiffler – Art Director
Julian Andrews – Copywriter
Mollie Starr – Brand Director

Production Company: Mica Studios
David Longden – EP/Producer/DoP/Editor/Colourist
Charlton Schneider – Director
Jacques Ross – 1st AD
Jessie Whiting – HMU
Danielle Payne – 1st AC
Gemma Baker – 2nd AC
Aaron Ashwood – Gaffer
Benjamin Riley – Best Person
Dylan Frost – Sound Mixer
Luke Fuller – Sound Design
Samuel Dawe – Lead Actor / Voice Actor
Max Cattana – Supporting Actor
James Heathwood – Sound Engineer (radio)

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