UPDATE HIV

A Global Campaign to Rethink, Rebrand and Rename HIV

HIV Is a Bad Brand

HIV stigma has allowed the virus to spread for decades. So, as cases began to rise, we decided to change the name of HIV to end HIV stigma and open up a new discussion around the virus.

  • HIV cases are on the rise around the world. Without radical action, decades of progress will be undone in just a handful of years.

  • Challenge the stigma that has affected HIV for years by renaming the virus and starting a new conversation around HIV.

  • The campaign spanned roughly eight months and included an evolving number of executions as we expanded our reach and message. The target group grew from high-level politicians, health leaders, and activists to a general audience as we approached the final activation.

MY RESPONSIBILITIES

Update HIV was the most extensive campaign I’ve been a part of. It spanned three continents and involved hundreds of people. I was ultimately responsible for bringing the end of the campaign together and was sent to South Africa to ensure things went smoothly.

During the campaign, I wrote and helped design the website, managed the social media channel, directed the case film, coordinated between Zurich and South Africa, finalized the open letter, and much, much more.

MORE BELOW

The International AIDS Conference in Montreal, Canada 

Update HIV began with our team meeting leaders within the HIV community to soft-pitch the idea of a global rename at the annual AIDS conference. We met with high-level opinion leaders like Dr. Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, Dr. Joe Phaahla, the Minister of Health in South Africa and Linda-Gail Bekker, the Professor of Medicine & COO of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation.

Harold J. Phillips

Director, White House office of National AIDS Policy

Dr. Joe Phaahla

Minister for Health, South Africa

Linda-Gail Bekker

COO of the Desmond Tutu Foundation

Winnie Byanyima

Executive Director, UNAIDS

The Open Letter

 On World AIDs Day 2022, we officially started the campaign by publishing an open letter in the world press, calling on the Director General of the WHO to rename the virus.

The letter was released to various high-profile papers and magazines like Vanguardists, the Times of London, Tagespiegel, and more.

On Social Media

We created an educational campaign online and partnered with influencers in South Africa and Europe to spread our message.

Our posts reached 3M views on TikTok and garnered over 60k comments.

In South Africa

To cap off our campaign, I was sent to South Africa to help record and direct the burning of a massive effigy to HIV at the regional Burning Man festival: Afrikaburn.

There, we also created a mural in the township of Soweto, outside of the urban center of Johannesburg.

RESULTS

The Director General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, responded to our open letter on World AIDS Day. After the campaign, we met with Harold J. Phillips, the Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, to discuss bringing the campaign to the United States.

We had a global press reach of over 103 million and achieved 3 million views on TikTok with over 60k interactions.

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