Saatchi Switzerland Spreads Positivity for HIV

Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland in partnership with Vangardist magazine, a leading German men’s monthly has invited its readers to take a hands-on approach to end the social stigma surrounding HIV by printing a special edition using ink infused with HIV-positive blood.

The magazine, which has been produced to coincide with one of the biggest annual AIDS charity events in the world, Life Ball – which takes place at Vienna City Hall on the 16 May in Vangardist’s home town of Vienna – aims to help affected people in an unconventional way and to fight against the taboo status of HIV/AIDS in society.

Three individuals with the virus donated blood for the project and the 3,000 copies of the magazine were wrapped in plastic with a powerful message instructing readers to: “Break the seal, help break the stigma.”

Whilst the magazine has been produced according to the most stringent controls and using processes developed according to guidelines established by Harvard and Innsbruck University, ensuring that the handling of a physical copy of the magazines carries no risk of infection, and is 100 per cent safe; the debate and discussion around the magazine and the issue it highlights has already been significant.  

“This is truly a ‘Nothing Is Impossible’ story - one we have been passionate about for a long time,” says Jason Romeyko, executive creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland. 

“When Vangardist approached us to help them raise awareness of this important cause around Life Ball in Vienna, we knew we had met a brave client,” he says. “With this unique project, we want to create a response in a heartbeat by transforming the media into the very root of the stigma itself - by printing every word, line, picture and page of the magazine with blood from HIV+ people.” 

Romeyko says that, despite 30 years of campaigning, activism and research, HIV remains the 6th biggest cause of death in the world. “Yet for many people the virus is seen as ‘old news’, with discussion and debate relegated to just one or two days a-year when key communities and organisations around the world force the issue back onto the news agenda,” he says. “By holding the issue, readers are immediately breaking the taboo.” 

The magazine has been available to subscribers since 28 April. A Facebook page was also launched and aims to be one of the most widely visited and ‘liked’ HIV related pages on the platform, demonstrating to the world a community of people for whom the HIV virus carries no social stigma.

In addition to lending their support socially to the campaign, individuals interested in getting even more involved, will be able to participate in an online auction later in the campaign when further copies of the magazine will be sold in an effort to raise additional monies for HIV related causes/organisations.