AUCKLAND, Today: Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) has launched Rules of a f***buddy, the latest campaign from Ending HIV – a community-focused behaviour change programme run by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation to reach men who have sex with men.
Ending HIV’s Michael Shaw said: “As a sex-positive organisation that engages individuals at high-risk of HIV, we know that we need to use language that our community uses – which means we sometimes use vocab that might make your nana blush. For example, f***buddies!
“We wanted to create something that was really sexy and wouldn’t get lost in the noise. We’re talking about enjoying sex as safely as possible – so we want to make sure it’s portrayed in a positive and relatable way.
“Together with DDB, Ending HIV created a series of joyously sexy images and paired them with rules encountered in f***buddy relationships and HIV prevention – sourced from our community.
“This message is going to be hard to miss – with posters and billboards lining the streets, banners on dating apps and promotions across social media, reaching f***buddies across Aotearoa.
“Being up against significant advertising-standard challenges, an online content hub was needed to make sure the message could be shared in all its risqué glory, without asterisks or duct-tape.
“This is going to ruffle some feathers, but it’s important to speak the language of those who need the message most.”
“A key part of this was creating a website that would serve as the uncensored home of our content, and a way to engage the community and generate more rules – which will feed directly back into a second wave of the campaign,” Shaw said.
DDB CD Hadyn Kerr said the agency team were excited by the brief. “The New Zealand AIDS Foundation is rare in their willingness to embrace the truth, not only about what is happening in the real world, but also the truth about what kind of campaigns people will actually engage with,” Kerr said.
“So many campaigns seek to be interactive, but this is one of the few campaigns to actually achieve it.
“In particular, one of the real joys of was working with real talent that NZAF sourced to appear in the photography. The guys were so brave and open and willing to share anything to help the cause.
“Ending HIV is aware this is going to ruffle some feathers, but it’s important to speak the language of those who need the message most.”
Why f***buddies?
2018 survey data found that around 30% of the men who have sex with men (MSM) surveyed said their main sexual partner was a f***buddy. Among this group, the top reason for not using prevention with these partners was trusting their partner’s HIV and STI status.
“We’re definitely not discouraging trust but are encouraging ownership of your own sexual health. Let’s be honest, your casual partner is likely not your only partner and you aren’t theirs – that’s a whole sexual network largely relying on another person knowing their sexual health status in real-time – when window periods for STI and HIV testing can confuse things,” says Shaw.
“This campaign is a way to inspire candid conversations about negotiating HIV prevention with f***buddies, by making them a part of the rules you’re likely already setting for the relationship. So, ‘you can’t sleep over’ becomes ‘you can’t sleep over and you bring the condoms’.”
CREDITS
Client: New Zealand AIDS Foundation (Ending HIV):
Marketing, Communications and Fundraising Manager: Michael Shaw
Marketing and Communications Lead: Anthony Walton
Marketing Coordinator: Victoria Walsh
Photographer: Mara Sommer
Agency: Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB)
Media Agency: Mediacom
- Campaign website link: www.rulesofafuckbuddy.com
- Ending HIV website link: www.endinghiv.org.nz
About HIV in New Zealand
Currently, around 3500 people in New Zealand are estimated to be living with HIV. Gay and bisexual men remain the population group most at risk. While accounting for only approximately 2.5% of NZ’s population, they are consistently over-represented in HIV diagnoses – accounting for 62% of those diagnosed in 2018. In 2018, 178 people were diagnosed with HIV in NZ. This is the second year of decline since having the highest numbers on record in 2016. NZAF is NZ’s leading HIV prevention and support community organisation. NZAF provides HIV prevention and education to communities most at risk of HIV and support to people living with or affected by HIV. NZAF works nationally to deliver HIV prevention campaigns, community education, HIV and STI testing, counselling and peer support services, as well as scientific research and advocacy.
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