The aim is to end HIV in NSW by 2020. Frost’s solution, Ending HIV [with later extension, Stay Safe] was launched for Mardi Gras in 2013. Its message was simple, striking and positive and carried in a look at me graphic design format. The outdoor campaign alone is quite likely to have a 99.9% recall everywhere it appeared.

Mardi Gras is about to happen again in Sydney. And ACON and Frost remain committed to their undertaking. Pop-up testing centres began appearing towards the end of the year. And a simple two minute documentary style video has been released with OOH support. The third wave of posters show that the biggest ideas go on ‘forever’. The graphics now hold the message EASY (AS) and KNOW [NOW].

Positivity stars in the documentary as it does in all three phases of the poster campaign. The enthusiastic attitudes of Olympic Champion Matthew Mitcham, campaign designer Vince Frost, HIV expert, Professor Andrew Grulich, founder of The Institute of Many Nic Holas, Founder of SameSame, Tim Duggan, and Nic Parkhill, ACON chief executive officer, are very strong motivators. The message remains simple and factual: new science has the power to end HIV – use it.

Parkhill commented, “We estimate that up to 30% of HIV cases in NSW are undiagnosed and it’s these people, who are unaware of their status, who we particularly want to work with.

“Once people know their status, they can take action to improve their health outcomes and prevent passing on the virus. And the only way they can know their status is to get tested regularly, at least twice a year.

“We won’t be able to achieve the goal of ending the HIV epidemic in NSW by the end of the decade unless we significantly increase testing rates among gay men – it’s that simple.”