HIV ads revert to shock tactics

2005-07-01 10:26

The "shocking" Aids Awareness campaign in France.

Cape Town - To educate or emanate, that is the question as European HIV campaigning reverts to shock tactics while South African awareness campaigns verge on the obscure.

HIV Aids awareness campaigns in France have seen a return to shock tactics to boost the efficacy of public health messages through vivid imagery designed to instil a renewed fear of infection.

This represents a marked move away from awareness campaigns that focus on educational aspects of HIV Aids prevention, familiar to South Africans.

"The reason for this drastic and visually disturbing imagery is directly related to an increase in HIV and STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) in Europe," says Calibre Clinical Consultants chief medical officer Dr Erich Hefer.

"The campaign became a necessary tool to shock the public back into reality following a wave of complacency about infection, a result of over education of the public on treatment options which in turn instilled a mindset of HIV Aids being a treatable condition with a potential cure on the horizon.

Fear of infection had all but disappeared. Of course, this prompted a marked increase in STI and HIV infections which necessitated a return to an aggressive awareness approach."

MTV ad banned

In the US, an HIV/Aids awareness advertisement, aired only once on MTV, was banned by the US government.

The text next to the towers reads:
"2 863 people died" (See picture opposite)

The text next to the man sitting on the road reads: "40 million in the world infected with HIV"

"The world united against terrorism. It should also be united against Aids."

SA's Aids awareness campaigns

Hefer says that South African awareness campaigns have been reasonably effective in the past, instilling a fear of infection among South Africans, however, the flipside sees a lack of education and understanding of HIV Aids and STI's.

"South Africa needs more champions of the cause, personalities like Patricia de Lille and Pieter Dirk Uys whom have worked tirelessly on educating our people. We need community leaders to become more involved and for politicians to get their hands dirty as opposed to using it (HIV Aids) as an election issue."

Calibre Clinical Consultants employs PR, posturing, lectures, training programmes and a variety of media to reach and communicate effectively to citizens.

Hefer also believes that training of educators whom are able to infiltrate South Africans 'on the ground' in all aspects of life are an effective tool beyond advertising and giant billboard campaigns.

"If one considers objectively the current media environment, in terms of awareness campaigns to the broader public, the overall message is somewhat obscure. I think that, at this time, Arrive Alive has managed to achieve a far higher profile than the HIV Aids campaign. Tanzania, for example, follows a simple strategy using the message Aids Kills as the common denominator in all its awareness efforts."

"Educating our people about the HIV pandemic must still be seen as a priority in South Africa. A marriage between awareness and education offers the key to success in this country.

A tactical shock campaign would, however, not be advisable here as it will increase the stigmatism already associated with HIV Aids, and such campaigns usually have a very limited life span."

- News24