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National AIDS Trust criticises campaign for 'stigmatising' HIV sufferers
By: John Howard
Face of evil
Face of evil
Hitler does AIDS awareness TV ad
A new AIDS awareness advert for German TV that shows Adolf Hitler having unprotected sex ends with the tagline "AIDS is a mass murderer", in an attempt to scare young people into using condoms by associating the disease with the dictator.
In what at first appears to be a commercial for perfume or underwear, a couple undress and begin to have sex in a romantically-lit bedroom.
But at the moment of the man's climax the camera pans around to reveal him to be Hitler.
Produced by the Hamburg-based advertising agency das comitee for a small German AIDS awareness group called Regenbogen e.V., the Hitler ad is the only TV version of a series of posters showing famous mass murderers, including Saddam Hussein and Stalin, having sex with women.
The campaign's website says:
Produced by the Hamburg-based advertising agency das comitee for a small German AIDS awareness group called Regenbogen e.V., the Hitler ad is the only TV version of a series of posters showing famous mass murderers, including Saddam Hussein and Stalin, having sex with women.
The campaign's website says:
"Our campaign to mark World AIDS Day 2009 speaks in clear terms: The new slogan is 'AIDS is a mass murderer.' The few mass murderers who have claimed a similar number of human lives are shown.
“The campaign is designed to shake people up, to bring the topic of AIDS back to centre stage, and to reverse the trend of unprotected sexual intercourse."
Hans Weishaupl, creative director of das comitee, told the Daily Telegraph that it came up with the Hitler idea after Regenbogen e.V. briefed them to be hard-hitting.
Hans Weishaupl, creative director of das comitee, told the Daily Telegraph that it came up with the Hitler idea after Regenbogen e.V. briefed them to be hard-hitting.
"A lot of people are not aware that AIDS is still murdering many people every day. They wanted a campaign which told young people that it is still a threat," he said.
"In Germany, Hitler is the ugliest face you can use to show evil".
He added that, although some members of Regenbogen e.V. were concerned that the campaign could present a negative view of sufferers, they agreed that the shock value of the Hitler advert could help prevent the spread of HIV.
But a spokeswoman for the National AIDS Trust, which coordinates World AIDS Day in the UK, said:
He added that, although some members of Regenbogen e.V. were concerned that the campaign could present a negative view of sufferers, they agreed that the shock value of the Hitler advert could help prevent the spread of HIV.
But a spokeswoman for the National AIDS Trust, which coordinates World AIDS Day in the UK, said:
"Of course there are many HIV organisations that run their own campaigns, however I think the advert is incredibly stigmatising to people living with HIV who already face much stigma and discrimination due to ignorance about the virus.
"On top of this it fails to provide any kind of actual prevention message (e.g. use a condom) and may deter people to come forward for testing. The advert is also inaccurate because in the UK thanks to treatment HIV is a manageable condition that does not necessarily lead to AIDS."
"On top of this it fails to provide any kind of actual prevention message (e.g. use a condom) and may deter people to come forward for testing. The advert is also inaccurate because in the UK thanks to treatment HIV is a manageable condition that does not necessarily lead to AIDS."
