Use Rubber At Night
Shantanu Suman has created a pack to help educate people in India about safe sex and especially targeted at India's truck drivers. The artwork is bright and bold, inspired by the popular truck art.
Shantanu Suman has created a pack to help educate people in India about safe sex and especially targeted at India's truck drivers. The artwork is bright and bold, inspired by the popular truck art.
Background Information & Inspiration
The Indian roads and highways are known to look beautiful and colorful, thanks to the brightly hand painted trucks and lorries that run on them. Every truck is bedecked with hand-painted art and symbols, which are common across all trucks, but have a unique character, as they are hand painted. The Truck Art style is a testimony of the truck owners’ love for their brightly decorated homes.
However a startling study (conducted by the Center for Media Studies) indicates that India currently has over 5.1 million AIDS patients, and truckers are possibly one of the largest groups carrying the disease. There is an urgent need to create awareness among this community to curb the spread of the fatal disease. More than illiteracy, it is the ignorance and long distance from home and their wives that are the reasons behind the spread of the disease among the truckers’ community.
The fact that cards games are the most common recreational activity among the truckers in India, led to the inception of this set of playing card design. This pack is a small step towards spreading the awareness about AIDS among its users, specially the truck drivers.
The playing card design has been inspired from a very common phrase ‘Use dipper at night’ seen quite often on the back of Indian trucks. The message has been altered to suit the purpose and now reads ‘Use rubber at night’ which serves as an important reminder to the user of using condoms while having sex.
The design for the cards has been inspired by the Indian Truck Art Style. The lady with the lamp and the 3D treatment of the typography are some of the common features of the Indian Truck Art Style. Even the characters (king, queen, jack & joker) have been illustrated in the traditional Indian painting style to give the work an Indian feel. The printing method includes a mix of letterpress and inkjet printing. The front (characters and numbers) of the cards have been printed using an inkjet printer whereas the back and the packaging of the cards has been printed using the Letterpress technique.
By Adam Wintle
Member since March 15, 1997
Adam has been involved in developing the site as well as reviewing new decks and conducting research. He is particularly interested in innovation, Kickstarter and East Asian cards. He is a member of the IPCS and webmaster of the EPCS.
Related Articles
Woodblock and Stencil Joker
A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs
A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.
Woodblock and Stencil King of Diamonds
A limited edition art print of the King of Diamonds 1984 woodblock joker.
Les Saints Guérisseurs et Protecteurs
Healing and patron saints portrayed in paintings, manuscripts, altarpieces and statuary.
Merz Pharma Skat
Comic designs promoting Merz Pharma, a German drug company.
54 Affiches Retro
54 different old French advertising posters, mainly for travel and health products.
52 Ways to talk about adoption
‘52 Ways to talk about adoption’ family-centred playing cards produced by the Center for Adoption Su...
Don’t come back
“Don’t come back” playing cards produced by Hounslow NHS Primary Care Trust and Feltham Young Offend...
Kings of India playing cards
Kings of India playing cards depicting the four greatest dynasties of India.
Naipe Navarro
Historical figures and artefacts from Navarre with designs by M. Sinués for the Navarre Association ...
Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights (1001 Nights Tarot)
This tarot deck captures the idealised Eastern world's magic from the eighteenth and nineteenth cent...
ORIENT The Queen of Cards
A unique Art creation of Subho Tagore
Handmade Ganjifa Birds Playing Cards
This set of Ganjifa cards is a beautiful example of traditional cards from India.
Art for Life
Art for Life playing cards illustrated by Francesc Artigau i Seguí for the British Red Cross, 2014. ...
Night & Day playing cards
‘Night & Day’ playing cards produced by London Underground, United Kingdom
Death on Drugs
Death on Drugs playing cards, United States, 1985.
Death Cigarettes
‘Death Cigarettes’ anti-smoking playing cards, USA, 1985.
Youthscape playing cards
Two packs of playing cards offering emotional help and support to young people.
Take Control : Drugs
Take Control : Drug advice playing cards produced by Safer Publications, United Kingdom, 2007.
Covid-19 playing cards
Covid-19 playing cards designed by Stacey Kelly, United Kingdom, 2020.
The British Royal visit to India playing cards
printed in Spain for British India in 1911.
Shape Up
“Shape Up” playing cards designed by Anthony Harris published by Figure Dynamics in 1985.
Pack of Diets
“Pack of Diets” healthy lifestyle playing cards by Waddingtons Games for Figure Dynamics Ltd. in 198...
Think smoking heroin is safe?
“Think smoking heroin is safe?” harm minimisation playing cards.
Lose the smoke Keep the fire
“Lose the smoke Keep the fire” playing cards to help quit smoking, published by Nicotinell, 2007.
War on AIDS
War on AIDS playing cards published by ActionAid, United Kingdom, c. 2004.
Better drug laws now
“Better drug laws now” campaign playing cards issued by Release, United Kingdom.
Coffinnails: Smoking Kills
“Coffinnails: Smoking Kills” playing cards highlighting the impact smoking has on life and health, 2...
52 ways to stop smoking
“52 ways to stop smoking”, offering positive help for anyone who wants to give up smoking.
African Renaissance Deck
African Renaissance Deck published for Nkosi's Haven, South Africa, 2000.
Popular Fine Art Litho Works
A standard English pack and one adapted for magic tricks by Popular Fine Art Litho Works Ltd., Bomba...
Swadeshi Playing Cards
Named after the first National movement in India
Waddington’s “Silkette” Playing Cards
Cards made by John Waddington Ltd. for the Madras Club, Chennai (formerly Madras), India, c.1930.
Ganjifa™
A colourful pack of round cards with Ganjifa designs by Asha Industries, Mumbai, India, 2002.
Playing cards for the Bombay Market
An interesting pack of playing cards with illustrated Indian aces made "Specially for the Bombay Mar...
Gibbs Happy Families
Gibbs Happy Families card game promotion, both full sized and miniature versions, c.1946.
Happy Guides
Happy Guides by James Brown & Son (Glasgow) Ltd. around 1910/1915.
Capilettor
Capilettor cartoon playing cards published by ASS, Leinfelden, 1978.
Ravi Varma Press
Ravi Varma Press, Bombay, India, c.1910.
Hearts of London
Hearts of London for British Heart Foundation 1994.
Bharata Playing Cards
Bharata Playing Cards - Series 2, based on Indian folk art, published by Sunish Chabba, 2018.
Bharata Major Arcana Tarot
Bharata Major Arcana Tarot inspired by Indian art forms by Ishan Trivedi & Sunish Chabba, 2018.
Far East
Far East playing cards with designs by Isabel Ibáñez de Sendadiano, c.1980.