AIDS Brands

Good for them. Sounds like a clever creative experiment & I am going to be very interested to see how it fairs, is received and impacts on SA brand-conscious youths.

Levi Strauss SA, the clothing retailer, is poised to launch a campaign to save lives and sell jeans, sponsoring HIV-testing facilities in areas where young people congregate, including shopping malls selling its goods.

“Levi’s is the number one cool brand for young people. For Levi’s to associate its most valuable asset, its brand, with HIV testing is a great opportunity to reach the group we most need to” said New Start technical adviser Scott Billy. “Levi’s target consumer — 15 to 25 year olds — exactly coincides with the age group that is the greatest contributor to new infections in SA,” he said.

The “Work it Out for Yourself” campaign will put Levi’s branded mobile testing units in townships, on university campuses, and shopping malls where the retailer has stores.

Levi’s started the Red for Life initiative early last year, kicking off with a “Rage for the Revolution” concert to promote condom use among young people. This year’s concert, on October 28, is being used to incentivise young adults to learn their HIV status — those who take up Levi’s offer of free HIV testing and counselling in the first two weeks of the campaign will get free tickets to the concert.

Apparently this campaign is running in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town between October 14 and World AIDS Day on December 1. I didn't even know about the 1st concert. I am always someone for a good SA concert. And you get free stuff!! Always a bonus & an incentive. Nothing like some bribery to stay healthy.

The only worry could be that a group of youths casually decide to get tested while out hanging out around a mall, and one or two of them find out from this random decision that they are positive and have to immediately face their friends while in shock - pretty much gives their results away.

But I am all for testing (with counselling involved, so that you are up-to-date on the truth about HIV and AIDS).

Meanwhile, I really like JAM's inSPOT LA post from yesterday on a similar theme.