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Bob G.

I think more than one tactic is the only way to ensure hitting multiple demographics. Any PSA campaign against a preventable disease like HIV/AIDS needs to hit several angles and viewpoints to affect a diverse population. Scare tactics ads like the Death Anus may frighten a young gay man to be more diligent about condom usage, but it might scare more of those young gay men out of getting tested and knowing their status. There should be other ads along with the scares. One might approach gay men financially, informing them that HIV/AIDS is expensive as hell. Hit 'em where it hurts: the wallet! There might also be different, milder scare ads, like ones discouraging unsafe sex practices because of what it can mean to your family when you get sick. Either way, while the Death Anus ad shows all different minorities, the fact that the models are, well, models--beautiful boys with doe-like eyes and waists the size of my thighs--excludes many, if not most, actual young gay men who look just like human-type folks. In other words, normal! Perhaps they see those ads and think, "Oh, it's a lifestyle disease! I'm not a pretty party favor who does lots of drugs so I don't have to worry about it." I know at age 19, I would not have identified with any of the young men in that ad; none even closely resembles me at that age in the least.

January 18, 2011