Ad agencies picking up AIDS-related accounts.

Ad agencies worldwide are picking up accounts related to fears about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although the feeling among agencies is that these accounts donts amount to much officials agree they are increasing. Few of the campaigns have caused as much controversy as one that broke last month in Australia where two major New South Wales cinema chains refused to screen a pilot "condom awareness" commercial. A third chain agreed to run the spots. The commercial is part of a $50000 campaign of the New South Wales health department. The cartoon-like spot produced in-house shows a character who ends up in the hospital suffering from AIDS after saying of condoms "I wouldnt wear one if they were giving them away." The cinema chains complained that the commercial was not acceptable for the general public especially young audiences. The health department plans to spend another $450000 on the campaign before the year is out via USP Needham. Stage 2 scheduled to start this month consists of radio spots built around jazz renditions of "Whos Sorry Now?" and other old songs. For stage 3 of the campaign starting in April the agency will commission an original song to be played in gay bars. A $600000 multimedia campaign launched last year by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation and the New Zealand governments department of health via Auckland-based MacHarman Ayer is a more typical example of the kind of AIDS-related accounts agencies are picking up. The print ads say "ADS--New rules for safe sex" and spell out sexual practices that are "safe" "potentially unsafe" and "unsafe." In the UK the government has hired TBWA London for an educational campaign on how to avoid contracting the disease. The government will spend a total of more than $2 million on publicity and advertising this year sources said. The UK campaign will include print and possibly cinema spots. The governments of Germany Holland and Switzerland also are considering similar campaigns one source said. (full text)