When a friend sent me a link to this new campaign AIDS is a Mass Murder I didn’t know how I felt about it. I was definitely shocked. If you want to be shocked too, stop reading and check out the campaign. If you don't mind a genocidal spoiler or two, read on.
The campaign includes a video, three posters (one shown on the right), a radio spot and a music video featuring “the greatest mass murderers in recent history having sex.” Here’s how the creators explain the campaign on the official website:
Our campaign to mark World AIDS Day 2009 speaks in clear terms: the new slogan is "AIDS is a mass murderer". The few mass murderers who have claimed a similar number of human lives are shown: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Saddam Hussein. The campaign is designed to shake people up, to bring the topic of AIDS back to centre stage, and to reverse the trend of unprotected sexual intercourse. Because anyone can become infected.
At first I think it was just the video of Hitler having sex that freaked me out. But as I began to think about it the problems (and ultimate ineffectiveness) of the images and the campaign I realized that they go beyond what some people might consider bad taste.
First off, it’s not an apt metaphor. The mass murderers referenced in the ads all had plans and rationales for their killing. HIV/AIDS doesn’t have a plan; it doesn’t have a reason or vision of a world without people who have unprotected sex. These images may shock and may jar you into thinking about them, but the thoughts don't go far because the images don’t really make sense.
Which is not to say that HIV is random. We know that HIV rates and deaths associated with AIDS are far from random, related to race, class, gender and caused by the staggering health disparities across the globe and even across a given city or country. If the point of the campaign was to highlight the fact that when HIV leads to death it does so in a way that is linked to things like race and class, where you live and what you have, then images like these could have been appropriate.
But this campaign is just about getting people to use condoms. This leaves the images as having little more than shock value to recommend them.
On the one hand I kind of want to appreciate every attempt to add to this conversation, and I know how much work goes into these campaigns (and that in this case it was all volunteer). On the other hand I feel like it’s kind of lousy for them to use the images of these particular men. If I had a family member killed during Saddaam Hussein’s regime because they were a journalist, an artist, or maybe a teacher, I think I’d be pretty angry about these ads. I might feel like people have a choice to use a condom, but my family member didn’t have a choice. I’d probably feel like this was a pretty disrespectful way to get some media attention. Actually I do kind of feel that way.
Poster image from AIDS is a Mass Murder campaign, concept by Regenbogen e.V. and das comitee
Wow. Not sure what else to say but glad I’ve seen this here or I might have been waiting for the Energizer bunny.
The video is almost as explicit as porn, which for most people doesn’t turn them off to sex but rather makes them want it more. This campaign seems more like a campaign for hot sweaty sex than condoms. In fact, there was no mention of condoms anywhere in the adds – I guess we are supposed to figure that out on our own.
Well, I think that CONFUSING sex with AIDS is not only short minded, but a MISTAKE and also manipulative and sad.SEX is GOOG. For me, it’s EVEN BETTER WITHOU a CONDOM. I do it with no protection with my wife. Sex with a condom it’s not better. It’s just SAFER. It’s really sad for me to see this kind of manipulation. What they’re “branding” is that SEX = MASS MURDERER. Exactly the contrary of what sex is: A MASS CREATOR. What they should have presented is that AIDS = MASS MURDERER. They say one thing and then do another. That’s way this is a wrong ad, and an outrage to a person that knows what is Good SEX. It also does NOT accomplish what they propose. To do that, in a less manipulative way would be, for instance, putting Hitler’s face on s AIDS virus. Because of its sensuality, this ad would be great for a SEX campaign branding “SEX is BEAUTIFUL. MAKE IT SAFE”. I think cases like this happen due to agency incompetence, client’s marketing incompetence, and client’s lack of competent analysis. They should have tested before…
Well, after watching the ad again, I identified an even more worrying “branding” and probably the one that our subconscious mind will retain: Because only the man has a Hitler’s face, more than saying that SEX = MASS MURDERER, what is being said is that MAN = MASS MURDERER. Take your own conclusion, but this is more offensive to me, now, as man. It would be interesting to know how women see it. IF they’d say that NOTHING is wrong with it, I’d be really worried, because maybe they already think that sex with a man is a dangerous thing , or that men are dangerous, or that MAN ARE RESPONSABILE for AIDS, or…
Wow, yeah, Iunderstand wanting to get a point across but sometimes I think we get a little sidetracked. I applaud the effort but it’s a little misguided and overkill, pardon the pun, to which it might be more of a turnoff than a persuasive argument. Kinda painful to watch and I’m known as a chronic pain kinda guy…if I can inject mild humor behind all of this.
Good idea behind the message but way out in left field to be effective without just turning people away from the whole intent. In my opinion.
I liked it… And for those who think that the video implies that “sex= mass murderer” and “man= mass murderer” are truly ignorant. This is just a campaign to promote awareness, for all those who sleep around. Not for those who are in monogamous relationships. I think it’s great to compare aids’ mass murder potential with Hitler. I was not confused, I know exactly what this campaign is trying to convey.
my internet is very slow n i havent seen the video as yet but i wl comment nevertheless.there is overemphasis on SEX=AIDS worldover no wonder stigma remains a headache when it comes to these AIDS issues.the disease is painful because of the misinformation.there is medication for each opportunistic infection which comes up but there is no cure 4 how you really feel-lets call it the soul.hope is not being given in the right doses.fear is the one which is being given in abundance.We read about Hollywood where people are changing partners and talking about ‘OPEN RELATIONSHIPS”!Why is AIDS therefore not rampant when statistics talk of 1:4 ratio of infection?i get really emotional because as much as it is not really substantiated,i believe AIDS is an African thing.i am from Africa
I agree with your concerns. I wrote about this strange campaign here:
http://bit.ly/FBz35