TBWA\Paris: AIDES brings AIDS into the open by hiding it in a message about love

The world now has all the tools to end the AIDS epidemic. And yet, more than 6000 new infections occur each year in France.

HIV is still a major public health problem in France. The epidemic continues to wreak havoc throughout the world.

People living with the virus still suffer from too much discrimination. And according to French AIDS organisation, AIDES, the fear of contamination should no longer condition our relationship with HIV-positive people.

It wants the world to know that with the effectiveness of treatments today, people who are HIV positive can now live a normal life and do not transmit the virus.

So on December 1, World AIDS Day, AIDES and TBWA\Paris have launched a new awareness campaign and appeal for donations.

“We want to remobilise opinion and call to support the fight of our association against the AIDS virus, but also against hatred and stigmatisation. The fight against AIDS has always been a bearer of strong values, especially solidarity. Solidarity with people living with the virus, solidarity with vulnerable people, solidarity with our friend in developing countries,” stated Aurélien Beaucamp, president of AIDES.

The campaign includes a print ad and a video. Both carry the same message about the existence and the value of love, written as a poem.

The ads are particularly clever. On its first reading or first view, each is an ode to love that reminds us love exists everywhere. That love has no age, gender or religion and knows no borders. But the print ad also asks to be read with the word AIDS substituted for love and the video repeats with the word, AIDS, substituted for love. Both conclude with the message, Nothing should replace love, and ask for a donation.