Despite knowing the information about HIV, too many young people feel invincible and invulnerable to the serious threat of being infected. So, in order to infect my audience with reality and the fear of HIV, I designed a powerful visual campaign consisting of graphic and personal imagery that creates a permanent emotional response. I strategically implemented "urinal posters," "stall posters," and car fliers to reach both the straight community and the gay community at the most critical times. With support from local bars, nightclubs and events, my overall message is delivered as a system of unexpected reminders to practice safe sex.
These posters are hung at eye level above each urinal in the men's bathroom and on the back of the door in each stall of the women's bathroom. They are strategically placed to catch my audience at a very intimate moment. It is almost impossible to not stare the young person in the eyes while reading the facts written on their face.
The powerful statistics are received first and then the rest of my message is discovered before leaving the restroom on one of these 3 posters which are hung near the mirrors. They also can also be used as car fliers and serve as a critical last chance to infect the fear of HIV and ask my audience "How lucky are you?" as they leave the bar or club at the end of the night.
This campaign has evolved tremendously since it first started during the fall of 2009 as a project for my Visual Advocacy class, which was entered in a contest on DesignIgnitesChange.org. Fortunately, I've received excellent feedback from the Kansas City community. In fact, my project was discovered by a local HIV Awareness organization called the Millennial League (part of the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City) and I was hired as a creative director/designer to work with a professional photographer named Cameron Gee and produce my project as an official poster campaign to represent the organization. The campaign was launched on February 12th, 2010 and is currently in use around Kansas City.
Since working with the Millennial League, I was given the opportunity to share my project with over 300 people at the World's AIDS Day Luncheon on November 30th, 2009 in Kansas City and also at a local church in January of 2010. Additionally, I was interviewed about the campaign on 90.1 KKFI "The Tenth Voice" on February 6th, 2010.
Since working with the Millennial League, I was given the opportunity to share my project with over 300 people at the World's AIDS Day Luncheon on November 30th, 2009 in Kansas City and also at a local church in January of 2010. Additionally, I was interviewed about the campaign on 90.1 KKFI "The Tenth Voice" on February 6th, 2010.
