Cover Yourself in Canberra
Cover yourself in Canberra is the AIDS Action Council's campaign with a local flavour. The campaign was launched in 2002 and has since received both local and international acclaim, with councils around the world interested in running a similar campaign with their own local touch.
This fun campaign has a simple message: Cover Yourself in Canberra! Importantly, it reintroduces the condom image - something that has been lacking from safe-sex campaigns of recent years.
The following products are available from the Community Education and Health Promotion Unit:
- 4 condom packs (condom, lubricant and instructions)
- 4 postcards (Parliament House Flagpole, Captain Cook Memorial Jet, Telstra Tower, The Carillon)
- 4 A4 posters (Parliament House Flagpole, Captain Cook Memorial Jet, Telstra Tower, The Carillon)
- A3 poster
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Large poster |
A4-sized poster |
Condom pack designs |
Rationale
- In 2002 the AIDS Action Council (AAC) prepared a retrospective exhibition of local and national HIV prevention posters it was evident that the condom image had largely disappeared from recent prevention messages.
- It was decided to develop a campaign, designed to put the condom back into people’s minds as still the best protection against HIV and other STI.
- Canberra has few gay social or sex on premises venues. The use of sexually explicit images was therefore inappropriate for the local context.
- Given a general national rise in STI, together with an increase in new HIV notifications, it was considered timely to design a campaign with relevance to the general community and visitors to the national capital.
Process
- Concept sketches were developed in-house
- 6 Sense Media was engaged to develop the concepts further
- Selected significant Canberra landmarks were photographed digitally.
- Images showing these landmarks covered with a condom were developed under the theme “Cover Yourself in Canberra!”
- Focus groups determined the most appropriate slogans to accompany each image.
- A range of A2, A3 and A4 posters, safe sex packs and postcards were developed.
- A major distributor of adult videos sponsored the postcards which were included in customer mail outs.
Implementation
Stage 1
- The ACT Chief Health Officer launched the campaign in August 2002.
- The materials were initially distributed to GLBTI social venues, health agencies and tertiary education institutions.
Stage 2
- A subsequent wider distribution during May-July 2003 saw significant uptake of the materials throughout the local tourism, recreation and hospitality industries, including bars, restaurants, cafés, licensed clubs and gyms.
- Brothels and sex shops were targeted, through AAC Sex Worker Outreach Project.
- Further distribution is planned in the context of Rugby World Cup matches played in Canberra and the Masters Games.
- The resources are currently displayed in over 200 venues, including Canberra Casino, the Canberra Theatre Centre and the Australian Institute of Sport.
Stage 3
- A twelve month cinema advertising campaign using the images commenced in August 2003, funded by ACT Health.
Original Concept Daniel Coase
Project Manager Kevin Schamburg
Photography com.unity1
Artwork 6 sense media
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