14 May 2008

Creative New Animated Commercials Aim to Prevent AIDS

Getting the HIV message through to the young adult market is a tricky task.  The words need to be serious, but being too factual risks losing the audience.  Make it too frivolous and you’re not saying enough. 

A new project is set to change that dilemma by delivering fact-based messages in an innovative, engaging and effective way.  Scrutinize is an animated series created by a public private partnership between USAID and Johns Hopkins Health Education in South Africa (JHHESA) teaming up with iconic jeans label, Levi’s®, and series creators Matchboxology, with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).  The result is a new approach to HIV aimed at reducing the number of new infections.

Scrutinize has been developed to stand out from current HIV messaging and tackles the epidemic from a whole new angle.  Matchboxology CEO Cal Bruns explains: “For over ten years, folks have been hearing the facts about HIV and yet we’re not making enough headway in preventing the spread of the virus.  We thought it was time to go back to the drawing board and try something completely new.” 

With an underlying strategy that encourages and equips individuals to take responsibility to reduce their risk of HIV infeciton, Scrutinize is a series of short animated commercials known as animerts.  Each one is based around the everyday realities that place young South Africans at risk of HIV infection.  Focused on 18-32 year-olds, Scrutinize uses animated township characters that are easily identifiable who illustrate daily life encounters. Featuring offbeat humour and creative exaggeration, each animert leaves viewers equipped with a new vital HIV fact or insight to help them examine (or scrutinize) their own risky behaviours and beliefs.

Patrick L. Coleman, Managing Director for JHHESA, who has worked in public health communication for more than 30 years, believes that the reality of the series makes it compelling: “Scrutinize uses SA slang and symbology with the kind of humour that makes shows like The Simpsons so popular around the world. People laugh because they can see themselves, but you can see in their eyes they are getting the message”.

The lead character was created together with celebrated comedian and celebrity Joey Rasdien.  He plays a taxi driver on a mission: to Flip HIV to H- I-Victory.  Joey is joined by a cast of local acting and comedic talents that include Sophie Ndaba, Kedibone Mulaudzi, Welile Tembe and Darren Maule.  These characters learn important lessons in their daily struggle to avoid HIV.
 
Personifying HIV is part of the series’ new take on HIV communication. The popularity and parallels to a ninja character make it a fresh and relevant artistic choice.  The research indicates that HIV messages become far easier to relate to when presented in this way.

The ninja pops up in many different situations: alongside sugar daddies and mommas, hanging around when there’s drunken sex in shebeens and never far away from the stigma and prejudice that help it grow stronger.  And while Scrutinize is sure totouch some raw nerves, it is always educational.  JHHESA scrutinized every animert via qualitative research to ensure each communicates the correct message clearly and with impact.

Kent Hill, Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Global Health Bureau, says that this unique public private partnership has the power to create a noticeable change in the audience’s attitude when it comes to risky sexual behaviour. “International best practice in public health communication shows that combining the evidence of what drives the epidemic with relevant messages is far more likely to have a lasting impact.”

According to Debbie Gebhardt, Marketing Director for Levi Strauss South Africa, “Scrutinize is possible because we brought together commercial marketing and merchandising techniques, modern advertising creativity and the hard epidemiological data with expertise from JHHESA and USAID.  With Scrutinize there can be no sacred cows, but neither are there any when it comes to the reality of South Africa’s HIV infection rate.”

The first round of eight animerts will appear over the coming year on national television and in public health clinics via Mindset TV.  The material will feature as discussion starters for a series of community and youth conversations conducted by JHHESA and other civil society partners.  Levi’s® will also feature the characters on T-Shirts as part of their Red For Life range in shops nationwide.  The proceeds will be invested into the future development of the campaign.

The ultimate outcome of these brand new animerts is to give South Africans the ammunition and motivation they need to make choices that prevent HIV.

END

Further information is available from Richard Delate, Johns Hopkins Health Education in South Africa: 
(012) 366-9301 or Richard@jhuccp.co.za

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About USAID:  The U.S. Agency for International Development provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance worldwide.  USAID programs from the American people aim to strengthen South Africa socially, politically and economically.

About Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa:  JHHESA is an affiliate to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Centre for Communication Programs based in Baltimore, USA, that is a globally respected public health communication organization. JHHESA uses a strategic evidence based communication approach aimed to improve individual and social health and wellbeing with a particular focus on the major health and development challenges facing South Africa. JHHESA has been working with USAID in South Africa since 1999 providing technical support to the governments HIV communication efforts including establishing the AIDS Helpline, the Mindset Health Channel, the popular television series TshaTsha with the SABC and together with the Governments Khomanani Campaign the undertaking of the first National HIV and AIDS Communication Survey in 2006. JHHESA supports the Centre for Cultural and Media Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in developing the capacity of under priviledged South Africans through a post graduate course of social and behavioural change communication.
 
About Levi Strauss South Africa:
The Levi's® brand returned to SA following the democratic elections in 1994,, and has committed to local initiatives which resonate with the youth as part of its brand marketing strategy.  Levi's® Original Music aims to support and develop local original music talent, while Levi's® Red for Life is committed to educating and empowering the youth through applying the power of the brand to de-stigmatise issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic and encourage young adults to know their HIV status. These campaigns work together  to make a difference in the lives of the local youth and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  The strength of these programmes are rooted in powerful partnerships which combine Levi's® youth consumer understanding with leading expertise & talent in the fields of music and HIV/AIDS. To date, Levi’s® co-branded mobile VCT programmes have tested over 85,000 South Africans.

About Matchboxology: 
The architects behind the highly successful Levi’s® Red For Life campaigns, Matchboxologyare specialists in Marketing 2.0--taking enlightened brands and organizations beyond consumer-centric thinking to find the opportunities for stronger, deeper relationships based on natural, visible and positive social contributions. Their clients include, Levi’s®, MTN, World Bank, British Council and Falke/Balega and they created and market Brandoms™ (branded condoms) and Unda-G™(a range of underwear with hidden condom pockets).

About PEPFAR:
The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) employs the most diverse prevention, treatment and care strategy in the world, with an emphasis on transparency and accountability for results.