Égalité Mobilizes Publicis Groupe Agencies To Launch PrEP4Love Campaign In Chicago
Source: http://tinyurl.com/jmblxb9
Today, the Chicago PrEP Working Group and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago launch PrEP4Love, a citywide media campaign designed to increase awareness of PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily HIV prevention pill for HIV-negative people.
The sex-positive “PrEP4Love” campaign focuses on communities that are especially vulnerable to HIV, including young gay and bisexual black men, transgender women of color and black heterosexual women.
The campaign is made up of raw, honest photography under a simple tagline: “One pill. One a day. Protect against HIV.”
The photography incorporates words often used when discussing HIV transmission, such as “spread,” “transmit,” “contract” and “catch,” but pairs them with feelings associated with sex, such as love, desire and tingle. Words such as “contract heat” or “transmit lust” appear directly on the models in the photos.
The ads are displayed throughout CTA trains and buses, including a unique interactive heated bus shelter located on State and Lake streets. The campaign also includes a large online advertising component anchored by the PrEP4Love.com website.
“With just one pill, taken once a day, PrEP lowers your chances of contracting HIV up to 99%. That level of protection offers extraordinary peace of mind, which is incredibly sexy,” said John Peller, president and CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
Leo Burnett Chicago recognized that sex for many is a natural expression of passion and love, and should come without repercussions. However, these positive feelings are often negated due to anxiety over HIV infection.
The agency, along with sister agencies Starcom, Spark and Razorfish, set out to elevate awareness for the PrEP pill by highlighting its benefits – preventing HIV – while discrediting the negative stereotypes and stigma surrounding those who use PrEP and who are are sexually active.
The agencies provided creative services, media strategy and website development for the campaign under the auspices of Égalité, the LGBTQIA business resource group of Publicis Groupe.
To achieve a visceral, genuine feel to the campaign, Leo Burnett Chicago tapped the talents of world-renowned photographer Sandro Miller and the agency’s Department of Design to craft the ads.
Unlike other similar campaigns that use professional models, “PrEP4Love” features real people who are influencers in the campaign’s target communities. “When people see the campaign, they are going to see real people that are relatable, people they may know personally,” said Beverly Ross, a Chicago-based transgender advocate and “PrEP4Love” model.