| Johns Hopkins Scrutinize |
 Based on the strength of our HIV work with Levi’s® Red For Life, Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA) asked us to apply CSO thinking to their vast epidemiological research around HIV risk and prevention issues.
Partnering with top animators actors and comedians and inspired by sophisticated behavioral research, “Scrutinize”: an animated, consumer-centric campaign defining the HIV risks and realities facing everyday South Africans.Focussed on 18-32 year olds (but with appeal far wider than that) short format ani-merts (animated commercials) feature unique township characters in unconventional stories that leave viewers equipped with the critical HIV facts deemed necessary to help them “Scrutinize” their own risky behaviours and beliefs. For the first time ever, HIV is personified as a character - a stealth ninja who sneaks around under the cover of ignorance and lack of vigilance - infecting those who fail to keep him at bay with safe behaviour. Portraying the virus as a character helps explain many of its characteristics (including risk during the window period, the rapid spread due to multiple partners) and its hoped the visualization of the virus itself will assist in lifting the burden of stigma from HIV-positive individuals. Ani-merts harness the magical power of humour to deal with with the often difficult topics JHHESA experts have identified as critical. It’s all based on truths and research, and the goal is achieving the individual behaviour change necessary to make prevention a reality in everyone’s lives. |
