Australia faced a big problem in the 80s: AIDS was killing us

In the late 1980s AIDS was spreading unchecked in Australia amongst sexually active adults with multiple partners, homosexual males and intravenous drug users. Most people had no idea how you could catch it and there was no known cure. The only certainty was if you found you had AIDS, it was a death sentence.

The first government advertising campaign to raise awareness of the issue had failed to address the spread of AIDS. While “The Grim Reaper” ads certainly gained attention, the messages had not connected with those at risk and had not changed unsafe sex practices.

Indeed the Grim Reaper had simply scared the general public, especially kids and older people, without offering a compelling safe sex message. In charge of the government's AIDS awareness task force, Ita Buttrose had acknowledged the mistake the Grim Reaper fear campaign had been. The agency responsible that she'd appointed was fired and we were asked to implement our campaign they'd originally passed over for the Reaper.

The creative solution: "next time you go to bed with someone, ask yourself..."

"...how many people are you really going to bed with?"

You can't scare people into doing what's good for them. In fact, it's human nature to reject being told what to do. The art of persuasion often begins with starting a conversation that acknowledges the audience's point of view. And builds from there with an undeniable logic.

This commercial for the first time educated the community it wasn't "other people" who got AIDS, it was potentially anyone who went to bed with someone for unprotected sex.

Shot by Ray Lawrence (who went on to direct Bliss, Lantana and Jindabyne) my AIDS "beds" ad was made before the era of computer generated images. We put 800 real people into 400 real beds in the largest space we could hire in Sydney, the old tobacco bond store in Moore Park. The campaign worked in achieving the brief of raising awareness and driving behaviour change amongst those most at risk. The managers at Ansell would report an uplift in condom sales with every burst of our ads.

It's not often in this business you get the opportunity to really make a difference for society. It's usually baked beans and banking products.

Over three years as lead creative communicator I helped develop a series of undeniable messages that were created for specific audiences. From mass market messages on TV and radio, brochures for distribution in health clinics, English as a second language ads in ethnic press to bus sides and gay street press, posters on beats and stickers on public toilet doors.

The “Beds” ad which asked “next time you go to bed with someone, ask yourself how many are you really having sex with?” gave a graphic explanation of the chain of infection. The “Tell him if it’s not on, it’s not on” ads empowered people to demand their partners wear a condom. On the back of dunny doors in pubs across the country you couldn't ignore the big sticker of a condom clad erect penis with the words: "cover yourself against AIDS"

The outcome: Australia led the world in stopping the spread of AIDS

The integrated advertising campaign successfully raised awareness of AIDS amongst those segments of society most at risk of infection. The messages also reassured those not at risk and transformed the public view from one of “victims of AIDS” to an empowering safe sex message.

The creative campaign was instrumental in educating the public and changing sexual behaviour to succesfully reduce the transmission of the AIDS virus. The leader of Australia's health sector tasked with stemming the epidemic acknowledged the strength of the campaign:

“The message in this war against AIDS is a tough one – we know it will be controversial but we are certain it is the right approach, and it is backed by the World Health Organisation.”

Professor Ron Penny, National AIDS Council, 1988

This AIDS campaign is still recognised around the world as the most effective of it’s kind