“Each time you sleep with someone, you also sleep with his past.” This is the message chosen by the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb to raise public awareness of risky sexual practices for the second phase of its “One Life” campaign, created by BleuBlancRouge.
The goal of this campaign, which launched June 22, is to raise public awareness in both the gay and straight communities about the risks associated with some sexual behaviour, often mistakenly perceived as safe.
“HIV is too often associated with gay men, whereas 20% of people living with the virus in Canada are heterosexual women,” said Nancy Lee Jobin, vice-president of BBR’s pharmaceutical division. “We chose a surprisingly creative approach, but it sends a very clear message. This campaign is a reminder that everyone who is sexually active is potentially at risk.”
The campaign includes billboard advertising, print ads in magazines, and the website AreYouAtRisk.ca. Creative shows couples in intimate situations with one person being embraced by the many arms of the partners of the other person.
“We want people to be aware of the risks and to get tested. Many people believe that a cure exists for AIDS or are simply too scared to get tested,” said Jobin.
BBR’s “One Life” campaign for Bristol-Myers Squibb launched last year, using Irish rockers U2’s song One as its theme song.
“This is an initiative by our virology department, [which] markets antiretroviral products,” said Marc Osborne, spokesperson for Bristol-Myers Squibb. “The objective isn’t to sell a product though, but rather a societal prevention campaign, to persuade people to recognize the risks.”
This year, the campaign is planned around the three main Gay Pride celebrations in Canada:
•For the just completed Gay Pride week in Toronto, ads ran in free weeklies Now and Eye, posters were placed along Yonge St. (the main route for the Gay Pride parade).
•From July 26 to August 2 in Montreal, during the Divers/Cité festival, ads will run throughout the public transit network, including two posters at the entrance of the Beaudry metro station, and ads in magazines like Voir and Fugues.
•In Vancouver, ads will run in bus shelters and magazines in advance of that city’s Aug. 2 Pride parade.
According to Bristol-Myers, last year’s “One Life” campaign helped to increase public awareness about HIV and AIDS.
“It is very difficult to measure results in a situation like this,” said Osborne. “The only way to do so is to talk to health professionals working in this field. What they told us last year is that people had seen the campaign and were talking about it.”
