Stuff and advertising client Chemist Warehouse’s latest magazine entitled “The House of Wellness” is definitely not the type of material you want placed in your letterbox or on your coffee table at home if you have children. In fact, you won’t want young children anywhere near it. From articles about ‘ethical non-monogamy’, throuples, open relationships & kink through to adverts for sex toys, lubricants, Chocolust and rapid tests for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, it’s pretty clear why it should be clearly labelled “junk mail”.
Show Script:
Not long after I started Family First in 2006 (almost 20 years ago), this happened
Hell Pizza’s latest “condom” promotion has fuelled public anger and brought about 30 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority in a matter of hours. The Advertising Standards Authority said today it had been inundated with complaints about Hell Pizza’s latest promotion. The pizza company has included condoms in a mail-out to promote its “Lust” pizza. The small pamphlet advertising the Lust pizza contains a condom, and explicit instructions on how to use the condom during sex. Authority executive director Hillary Souter said today the authority received more than 30 complaints in just a few hours this morning.
Focus on the Family and Family First were both quoted in the article, and it made the 6pm news
Hell Pizza’s Warren Powell told One News today he was not going to apologise over the promotion. “New Zealand has got the third highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the developed world, so we have not got a problem with children getting hold of them (condoms). “It forces the parents to talk about sex and I don’t see that as a bad thing.”
There was also objectionable content in its Hell-o magazine. The magazine contained provocative pictures, offensive comments relating to the use of condoms, an insensitive article regarding the death of Steve Irwin, objectionable language, and a tongue-in-cheek article on bestiality.
The following year,
The relationship between Hell Pizza and its advertising agency has turned to hell and campaigners against the company’s outrageous advertising are rejoicing. The company has split from its advertising agency, Cinderella, The New Zealand Herald reported. Cinderella’s owner Matt Blomfield has notified Hell Pizza master franchise owner Tasman Pacific Foods (TPF) that he has no confidence in new conservative marketing and wants to sell 10 franchises he owns personally.
Lobby group Family First, which has been boycotting the company because of what it says is its offensive advertising, said it welcomed Hell Pizza back into the kitchen where it belonged, and out of the bedroom where it didn’t. The list of transgressions of taste and family values Hell Pizza stands accused of include a condom letterbox campaign for its “Lust” pizza , references to Hitler on a billboard and objectionable content in its Hell-o magazine.
Fast forward to 2026 and it’s the Chemist Warehouse and news website Stuff who want to try it on.
And it’s also been delivered to letterboxes around parts of the country.
I recently received this email from a supporter
Hi, Just wondering if you’ve seen what Stuff published in the physical copy of The Health of Wellness, February 26 edition? It was distributed via mailbox, to everyone not wise enough to have a “no junk mail” sign, last week. I became aware of it because it was delivered bulk to my house for my child to deliver due to his contract to deliver circulars each week. The content is totally inappropriate for kids. I’ve complained with the distributor, editor and general enquiries for the magazine. But also wondering what else can be done.
Their latest magazine entitled “The House of Wellness” is anything other than… well… the type of material you want in your letterbox or on your coffee table if you have children.
It features a sexual health special with a ‘somatic sexologist’ and ‘top 10 tips for intimate pleasure’. The image at the bottom hints at what’s being talked about.
Three deep breaths to “activate” you down there
Exploring – solo or with a partner
Making noise
Primal sexual body
Sex toys
It doesn’t matter what genital configuration you’ve got going on – that sounds very biological and binary, doesn’t it. How bigoted.
At Chemist Warehouse you can get “male self-pleasure eggs” and vibrators
And you thought the Chemist Warehouse was about Voltaren, shampoo and pain relief eh
And then the A-Z of “contemporary” courtship
(Ionically, on the Stuff website it warns that “This article contains content of a sexual nature.” – but still okay for letterboxes and young families apparently)
Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM): An umbrella term for open relationships, polyamory and anything else that involves consensually loving or sleeping with more than one person. The emphasis is on consent and clarity, not sneaky guesswork or emotional grey areas.
Open relationships Unlike polyamory, open relationships often involve sexual openness rather than multiple romantic bonds. Partners maintain their emotional centre as a couple, while allowing agreed-upon experimentation with other people.
Roster A casual dating lineup a bit like keeping your options open with or without the need for a spreadsheet. No-strings freewheeling that’s ideal until someone becomes your most-opened tab.
Throuples (Triads) Three-person relationships where everyone is romantically involved with each other. They require excellent communication and more chairs at date night.
There’s also
Kink Dress-ups, sex toys and playful power dynamics, anything goes when everyone’s enthusiastic and consenting. Think of it as X-rated’s cheeky younger sibling – curious, creative and entirely customised to the people involved.
X-rated Explicitly sexual content or behaviour, aka the spicy stuff. Fun if everyone’s keen; awkward if they’re not, and always best approached with consent, communication and plenty of pre-action warm-up time.
Then adverts for pleasure toys and lubricants
Ooh a quiz – kids love quizzes
Which of these STIs can have no, or only very mild, symptoms?
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis or HPV.
Pft – don’t worry too much
But later on, there’s a question
How often should you get tested for STIs if you’re sexually active with new partners (plural)
Answer – STIs aren’t great at sending warning tests, so get tested!
OK so we should worry then – if you’re acting like a rabbit
But I did laugh at this indoctrination
Are gender and sexuality the same thing?
Gender refers to a person’s recognition of themself as male or female or something else… Sexual orientation relates to sexual instinct, erotic desire, physical, emotional, spiritual or psychological attraction.
But here’s the concerning bit that should concern you
For more information on sexuality and gender, see the Rainbow Youth website.
Youth!
They’ve accidentally admitted that this publication is targeted at young people. Sending young people to a site for young people.
Some more products including Male Mojo and Chocolust
Safe sex – so safe that you’ll need to do rapid tests for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
And finally an interview with the somatic sexologist
Finding safety in the body is the biggest part.. And when you feel that safety, you can move your body – and be with another body – in ways that feel genuinely good.
Whatever that means.
Here’s the problem
There’s a time and a place for this type of information (if you want it) – but it’s not appropriate in the letterboxes of young families and for young children to be exposed to.
It’s ironic that the online version has a warning about the sexual content.
Just back to our mum who contacted us
Yes, my 13yo son had already delivered it to our whole neighbourhood before I realised! I asked him “Did you see what this is about?” and he said he saw the cover but didn’t read it. When asked why he didn’t tell me he said he felt weird about it. So he just wrapped it up with the 6 other pieces of junk mail and went on with it! I’m appalled. I’ll definitely be screening all the junk now. The regional manager for the distribution company that manages walkers who deliver this stuff has just phoned me and apologised that it was delivered to us and said they didn’t actually check the content either. She feels it’s R18 too…
Sadly, Stuff and Chemist Warehouse are more interested in making money rather than considering the values and morals of its customers and being more discerning about who will see the advertising material.
Maybe they’ll suffer a similar pushback and fallout as Hells Pizza and their advertising agency did almost 20 years ago.
Let’s hope so.
But just a reminder – spend your dollars only with companies who respect and align with your values. And who also respect your children and their welfare. And who tell the truth.
You’ll sleep better at night – and won’t need those urgent tests.
