![]() | |
Country | United Kingdom |
---|---|
Tagline | Mates, Signs of Sexy |
Website | mates |
Mates condoms are a brand of condom sold in the UK.
The brand was launched in the UK in 1987 by Richard Branson, with its condoms intended as a low cost alternative to more expensive brands. [1] [2] In November 1987 the company aired the first condom advert on British television. [3]
In 1988, a year after launch, Richard Branson sold the company and brand to Ansell for 1 million pounds. [4] The condom division in Ansell, of which Mates was a part, was sold in 2017 to Humanwell Healthcare Group and CITIC Capital China Partners for 600 million dollars. [5]
For many years the company in the UK was operated from Staffordshire, between the A51 and the West Coast Main Line, having relocated from South Elmsall in West Yorkshire.