Reshma John

Dr. Haley

English 137H

5 October 2012

World AIDS Day Campaign

AIDS: four letters that can change the lives of its victims forever. AIDS, otherwise known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is the final stage of the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), which targets the immune system. In 1995, AIDS was rated the number one leading cause of death in the United States, but fortunately this rating has gone down. Presently, it is considered the six leading cause of death, especially among the age 24-44 age group. To this day, there are millions of people living with HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness for the disease, international organizations have created events to promote their message and support their cause.

There are many AIDS awareness organization all over the world, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tubercolosis, and Malaria, International AIDS Foundation, and UNAIDS. While all of these organizations have made meaningful contributions toward the goal of AIDS awareness, one organization that seems to stand out is AIDS-Fondet, an AIDS organization located in Denmark. AIDS-Fondet provides awareness and counseling for victims of HIV and advertisement campaigns to the general population. The organization runs two national campaigns per year, one during Humour Against AIDS and World AIDS Day where it focuses upon raising awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS research and supporting programs.

During World AIDS Day of 2007, AIDS-Fondet led one of its most noticeable campaigns that was nationally covered and received. AIDS-Fondet worked off of their theme “Prejudice is one of the worst side-effects” and put on a huge display within the streets of Denmark. Members of the organization wore white t-shirts with their theme written across the shirt, while walking throughout the busy streets of Denmark in giant plastic bubbles. As they would walk throughout the shopping district of Denmark, they would be approached by several pedestrians, who would immediately be handed a flyer. The flyer was two fold, in the shape of a bubble, featuring a young man with his back and front shown with the theme of “Prejudice is one of the worst side-effects” written across the bubble in both English and Danish. In the corner of the bubble is featured the traditional red ribbon representing AIDS awareness. The advertisement itself, features various pictures from the event, along with a small image in the bottom right corner of the flyer and description of the organization and the event that has taken place. This campaign was original and out of the box, or bubble in this case, and was effective in promoting its message.

There are many components of this advertisement that have made it memorable and effective in a rhetorical sense. An important rhetorical strategy employed through this advertisement is the use of ethos to validate the worth of the advertisement and its effectiveness. The advertisement features the name of the organization and credits it as a charity focused upon raising awareness for AIDS on World AIDS Day. Upon reading the first sentence within the advertisement, the audience feels assured that they are reading about an event created by a legitimate organization who is true to their goal of raising awareness. When a reader can see that a legitimate organization or person is sponsoring an advertisement, they have an innate sense of trust with the focus of the advertisement. People will believe in the AIDS-Fondet organization as being capable of raising awareness and because of this, they will be more convinced to attend the event.

While ethos give the audience a feeling of assurance, pathos gives the audience a sense of emotion, and with this advertisement, pathos is expressed through the use of one word: prejudice. The word prejudice has had a long run throughout the world and invokes a sense of loneliness, distinction, and most of all, a lack of support from others. The AIDS-Fondet theme for World AIDS Day was focused upon the idea that although AIDS causes many intense side effects, such as immune system deficiency and easy susceptibility to diseases, one of the worst side effects that an AIDS victim can experience is the feeling of experience prejudice from their community. When hearing the word AIDS, many people will cringe and become uncomfortable due to many reasons, including how the disease is transmitted and how it affects the body. It is a very sensitive issue and by using the word prejudice, and bolding it in the text of the advertisement, the organization has brought down the walls of sensitivity and revealed the ideas that we tend to try to avoid. At one point in our life, many of us have faced some sort of prejudice, whether big or small. Regardless of size, in that one moment, we suddenly feel exposed to our “attacker” and the walls that we use to protect ourselves, come crumbling down. Through the use and bolding of the world “prejudice,” AIDS-Fondet has instilled the sense of loneliness, so that they audience may experience how AIDS victims feel exposed and separated from society.

While the text invoked ethos and pathos, the use of the color of red is also used to employ rhetorical strategy. Many of us are aware that red is the color associated with AIDS awareness. From red wristbands given at awareness events, to Apple’s endorsement of “buy a red iPod and donate money toward AIDS research.” The use of color, although seemingly simple, can easily spread an organization’s message, even without the use of text. On the advertisement, AIDS-Fondet features the red ribbon associated with AIDS awareness. Before even reading this advertisement, the minute my eyes laid upon that red ribbon, I knew what I was reading, and I didn’t even need to read any text. The use of the traditional ribbon lets the audience know that the advertisement is related to some sort of disease, while the red color represents AIDS.  The red ribbon is of the correct proportion, to the point where it does not take over the entire advertisement and draw attention away from the campaign itself, but it is not easy to pass over with your eyes.

AIDS-Fondet has been very successful with communicating its message of AIDS awareness with its Denmark audience through the use of large and memorable campaigns. The use of advertisements to spread their message has been not only effective, but has served as a public service. While many people consider actions to speak louder than words, the information contained in an advertisement such as this one, in both text and picture form, can speak for itself. The rhetorical strategies employed in this advertisement, is found in almost any type of propaganda we find in our society today, and without them, we would not want to understand half of the advertisements out there.