It’s always a challenge for brands and organizations to create campaigns fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Let’s face it – more people aren’t ready to discuss these things openly than those who are. And for many parts of the world, sexual health and well-being, in general, is still very much a taboo topic.
It’s about time we change that! As we grow into a more progressive and modern society, many individuals, groups, businesses, and institutions are stepping up to join the global battle against HIV/AIDS. With a little help from the world's leading advertising agencies, we can safely say that humanity as a whole will prevail.
How? You guessed it: powerful, strategic, and audience-friendly advertising campaigns!
Just in time for the upcoming World AIDS Day this December, let’s look at the most impressive sexual health campaigns that inspire people to take part in conquering this worldwide crisis.
Whether it’s to create awareness, encourage action, or highlight the importance of prevention over cure, these artistic and meaningful pieces are more than effective in urging people to join the movement – both on a personal and societal level.
Table of Contents
- Durex Make It Last Longer by Pina’s Factory
- Be Safe by Ninkuro Studio
- The It Kit by Laura Pursel
- Beat HIV by White Alligator
- HIV is a LABEL by Direct Media United Solutions
- Sex Ed by Jo Crossley
- Condom Advertisement by Anamaria Sabino
- Imunis by Gregory Mendoza
- Rimango ramingo by ANDREA PAPI DESIGN
- POSTE(RED) by Ahmet Ugurel
- Sex education program INLY by Kidults
- #endbedroomdistancing by Craving Digital
1. Durex Make It Last Longer by Pina’s Factory
Standout Features:
- Clear advertising slogan
- Clean layouts with high-impact imagery
- Humorous yet compelling visual story
It’s no secret that Durex always comes through with intelligent, witty, and engaging campaigns combating the spread of HIV/AIDS. This series of out-of-home advertising is just one of their many impressive and high-impact creations!
Made in collaboration with the director of photography at Pina’s Factory and art director Mariano Barresi, these posters reinforce the importance of sexual health and protection in a fun and humorous light.
The campaign features close-up shots of sexually suggestive items such as cucumber, fish, and eggplant. Each one is wrapped in plastic, recommending contraception to “Make It Last, Longer.”
Double meanings are always a hit, especially for sexual health campaigns!
They also hit two birds with one stone here. Not only do these visuals contribute to the global cause of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, but they also effectively promote the brand’s contraceptive solutions!
2. Be Safe by Ninkuro Studio
Standout Features:
- Provocative visual innuendos
- Soft and pastel colorways
- Straightforward campaign messaging
The Be Safe project is a campaign that urges the public to use protection to take care of their sexual health. Designed by Gladson Dube of Ninkuro Studio, this ad, unlike others, is straightforward yet super approachable.
The thing is, only some have the same comfort level with discussing these things publicly. So, the designer used family-friendly visual elements to communicate such a sensitive topic to a massive audience. And it worked!
They used soft and pastel colors as the main themes for the banner posters for their out-of-home advertising efforts.
Pairing that with minimalist typography that reads “Might Be Infected, Use Protection” enhanced the design, too. It’s concise and direct without being too bold and preachy.
The visuals are the best part! Not too vulgar, not too vague – the sweet spot for an effective HIV/AIDS prevention campaign! Just like the ads for Durex, they used alternative items like a banana and papaya to create sexual innuendos.
3. The It Kit by Laura Pursel
Standout Features:
- Creative and informative sexual education
- Groovy and pop art-inspired visuals
- Easy-to-read flashcards
The It Kit is a collection of sexual items and products that help young women become more sexually prepared.
Laura Pursel developed the prototype in collaboration with the global design agency IDEO. The project is part of the Innovation Next initiative with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
How effective is it?
Filled with safe sex products, educational information, conversational prompts, and games, the subscription kit interactively introduces sexual preparedness. And that’s the best way to approach it, knowing how challenging it is to bring these issues to light – especially for the youth.
The colorful visuals, fun illustrations, and friendly messaging add value to the kit’s usability. Interacting with the materials is like having a mature friend reminding you to make informed decisions regarding sexual health.
So, yes, The It Kit’s proactive approach to lessening unplanned pregnancies, especially among teens, is effective!
4. Beat HIV by White Alligator
Standout Features:
- Powerful visual storytelling
- Attention-grabbing HIV imagery
- Strategic use of negative space
Durex is consistent with its brilliant HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, and this poster for the Beat HIV campaign is no exception.
Designed by White Alligator, the poster features a striking and incredibly intriguing image of HIV’s impact, illustrated in the form of a tic-tac-toe game.
Here, the word HIV hits the three squares, visualizing an infection. The letters are also written in bright red with splatters and specks of blood – enough to make any passersby stop and stare at the chilling image.
Two Os in the form of Durex’s contraceptive products take the empty squares, effectively conveying their crucial message at the bottom of the poster that reads, “In this game, your only weapon is contraception.”
The entire illustration lies on a plain white surface, driving all the viewer’s focus to the powerful illustration at the center.
5. HIV is a LABEL by Direct Media United Solutions
Standout Features:
- Impactful nude photography
- Sticker-type layout and typography
- Dramatic shadowy lighting
Apart from the disease, people living with HIV struggle with an even tougher hardship – discrimination. And that’s what “HIV is a LABEL” aims to address.
Created by Direct Media Solutions, this campaign sheds light on the problems and challenges faced by people living with HIV – from getting refused casual contact to being deprived of essential services.
The nude photography instantly captures the viewer’s attention. But apart from that, it also highlights each affected person’s vulnerability and portrays a powerful image enough to evoke a feeling of empathy from the public (Explore the best photography portfolios).
Each image features different body parts and physiques, captured in its purest and raw form. The photographers used several lighting techniques to cast shadows into the bodies, adding more drama and intensity to the images.
Plus, the campaign messages are integrated into the design as red stickers. Each one is placed on a body part, further reinforcing the harsh reality that HIV is a label.
6. Sex Ed by Jo Crossley
Standout Features:
- Fruity illustrations to visualize intimate body parts
- Realistic and sketch-style artwork
- Clean visual layouts and typography
Sex education is something that London-based designer Jo Crossley feels strongly about, and her dedication can be seen through her beautiful illustrations for a magazine section focusing on this topic.
The two-page spread features an article that underscores the importance of sex education in schools and how the conversation should be shifted from anti-sex to pro-safe sex.
Much of the institution’s aversion to such a topic is because sex ed is a touchy subject, so the designer used soft and conservative imagery to illustrate safe sex.
Symbolic items such as flowers, bananas, oranges, and pomelo slits are creative representations of the human’s intimate body parts. Not only do these illustrations make the topic friendly and approachable. They also elevated the editorial design with their artistic visual character!
7. Condom Advertisement by Anamaria Sabino
Standout Features:
- Interesting imagery depicting safe sex
- Vintage and elegant illustrations
- Bright and vibrant color combinations
Durex is back with its fun and humorous campaigns promoting safe sex. This condom advertisement uses cutesy and cheeky storytelling brought to life by Brazilian illustrator and designer Anamaria Sabino.
The ad features vintage visuals that reflect the vibrance of the product’s color. The bright red and blue sketch-style illustrations showcase the freedom to experience pleasure safely.
How? Two words – visual metaphor.
The ad paints a picture of a diver jumping head-first into the water, wearing a parachute to keep them safe as they take the plunge. That’s a fun and friendly way to put it – even without explicitly saying to practice safe sex; we get the idea! The words “feel free to feel pleasure” accompany the visuals.
8. Imunis by Gregory Mendoza
Standout Features:
- Highly engaging slogans and campaign messages
- Bold and uniform typography
- Color-coordinated images and visuals
Imunis is proof that excellent branding can mobilize a massive crowd.
It’s a social movement that promotes HIV testing – one of the most powerful weapons to combat the spread of the disease. Designed by Gregory Mendoza, it educates the public about the importance of HIV tests through social media campaigns, podcasts, and more.
They even prepared a test kit to make the process more accessible!
Design-wise, the materials used for this campaign are driven to inspire immediate action from individuals. Engaging campaign slogans like “get tested,” “be proactive,” and “be in control of your health” create a feeling of urgency, reinforcing the importance of knowing one’s status to ensure safety.
Plus, they are written in bold and large letters with a particular typeface, so they’re guaranteed to grab the viewer’s attention.
Red and blue also serve as the central theme for the campaign. It’s the perfect color combo because a) these primary colors make a huge statement, and b) they represent HIV awareness.
9. Rimango ramingo by ANDREA PAPI DESIGN
Standout Features:
- Realistic imagery
- Simple yet striking design
- Meaningful symbolisms
Many brands leaned on utilizing fruits or different foods to represent sexual hints since they are easily suggestive. Rimango ramingo (I remain wandering) steered clear of the usual path.
Curated by Italian designer Andrea Papi, Rimango ramingo is a simple print design that bears a creative visual story.
The designer combined realistic imagery and a beautiful pastel color palette to create a simple yet striking visual. The elements sit on a plain rose background, drawing more focus on the artistic imagery.
Upon encountering this design, viewers are urged to look at the arm in a light blue sweatshirt with sleeves stretched at the center of the visual. At the end of the sleeves is a man’s fisted hand wrapped in a condom.
Through this uncomplicated layout, the designer beautifully depicted a story of a man in solitude who has learned to only maintain a passionate relationship with himself.
Dramatic and interesting. Two characteristics of a visual design no one can resist.
10. POSTE(RED) by Ahmet Ugurel
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Standout Features:
- Two-color palette
- Creative patterns and shapes
- Purposeful posters
A licensed brand under the Red company, (PRODUCT)RED is a series of designs that connect with the private sector to increase reach, awareness, and funds to fight HIV/AIDS in select African countries.
As of writing, 20% of all international funding goes to HIV/AIDS programs, while the rest is distributed to other critical health concerns. Then, funds generated by the Red partners, including this campaign, go to the Global Fund programs that help people with HIV/AIDS access quality health and medical services.
To ensure their plans materialize, the brand tapped graphic designer Ahmet Ugurel to develop strong, visually appealing print designs. And the result? Bloody stunning!
They released eight designs, all bridged by a gorgeous two-color combination (red and white). Although all designs have a common denominator, each is unique and can stand alone.
You’ll see geometric and rounded shapes throughout the designs.
Overall, these designs are easily recognizable and familiar. It invites viewers to look in and stay for a while – just enough to learn about the cause this brand stands for.
11. Sex education program INLY by Kidults
Standout Features:
- Fun illustrations of sexual icons
- Sticker-type messages and visuals
- Visually-striking color blocks
INLY is a fun and modern approach to promoting sexual health, especially to an audience that needs it the most – the youth.
Created by Masha Prokhorova of Kidults, INLY educates and urges young ones to make informed sexual choices by simply practicing safe sex.
How?
They launched digital campaigns and marketing materials promoting this cause. From social media posts and Instagram filters to branded notebooks, clothing pieces, and other merch forms, INLY successfully made sex education more engaging and approachable.
Instead of a minimalist design, they chose artistic choices that would resonate well with the youth. Their statement pieces are dressed in flashy colors – very much on-trend!
And like most brands here, they went with conservative yet fun representations to depict sensitive and sexually suggestive imagery. Sticker-type icons like bananas, cherries, and peaches are stamped on the materials, elevating the whole look.
12. #endbedroomdistancing by Craving Digital
Standout Features:
- Burst of Passion
- Play on social distancing
- Palatable design
When Durex, the world's number one sexual wellbeing brand launched its first-ever #madeforindia innovation the Extra Thin flavored condom - they were met with thunderous applause or at least, bedroom choir. For their next step, Durex came to the aptly named, Craving Digital studio to make "social distancing" a thing of the past. Finally!
The print pieces required the right blend of #skills & #imagination. They are akin to an ice-cream campaign so the agency mixed the #extrathin sliced strawberry & chocolate shavings and blended with the brand promise seamlessly.
Durex Extra-Thin flavored condoms product launch campaign #EndBedroomDistancing is based on user experiences who are looking for more from their flavored condoms! They seek to put the world where it was before, as sensually as possible.
