CLIENT: NSW Government
AGENCY: Wavemaker
AWARD: MFA Awards 2021: GRAND PRIX
Too often government campaigns take a safety-first approach. Tried and tested media. Predictable, mainstream and unlikely to provoke.
For this campaign, “safe” wasn’t an option.
The campaign was aimed at an audience who were unaware that their behaviour could place them at risk of HIV. Men who often lead compartmentalised, secret second lives. An audience that actively avoids being identified, who self-exempt from any messaging that relates to their alternative lives.
The media solution combined smart use of technology with bravery. It required adopting new targeting techniques, partnering with unknown and risqué media, and building new media touchpoints.
The accuracy, actionability and appropriateness of Discreet Lives resulted in high levels of audience engagement and increased HIV testing access. Importantly, by encouraging this behaviour change, an often-overlooked cohort of our society has an improved chance of early detection and intervention, reducing the risk to themselves, their families and the broader NSW community.