Solutions exist to end the AIDS epidemic, but the topic is completely absent from the French presidential debates.It was necessary to remind candidates that the future president will have an unbelievable power: that of bringing an end to one of the biggest pandemics in history.But how can one get heard with limited means in an extremely cluttered media environment?-in terms of media: exploit the communication means of a presidential campaign and activate its principal touch points : the media and militants.-in terms of creation: to set a picture of the candidates next to that of a condom to compare the efficiency of each one in battling AIDS epidemic: 'Here are 2 ways to stop Aids. One has proven itself; the other one will have to in 2012.' To launch the campaign, press releases were sent to the big media channels. They were accompanied with a toolkit that reflected the principle of the print, containing a condom next to the picture of each candidate.

The media seized the campaign and relayed it on a big scale. Militants broadcast it in all the big political meetings. These actions enabled to reach the concerned candidates directly and to raise awareness among the public about AIDES Association’s struggle.

On March 12th, launch of the PR campaign directed at more than 150 journalists and influential bloggers in France. From the next day and for several weeks, the media and web massively relay the campaign.From March 13th to April 2nd, the biggest TV programs also speak of the campaign and present the visuals.From March 15th, militants are mobilised in the field. All the big meetings were covered: distribution of pamphlets and 'sandwich men' with the campaign colours. On the night of March 22nd, simultaneous actions of AIDES Association militants are launched throughout France to put up posters on the walls of the biggest French cities. Several thousand posters were put up at the same time in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Avignon, Lille, Grenoble, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nice, Montpellier, Nîmes, Strasbourg.From April 16th to April 20th, each visual is successively broadcast in Metro, a free national daily newspaper with a wide audience.

With voluntary participation of everyone, limited production means (under €5,000 for the production) and without any media investment, the campaign touched an audience of 20m for a €900,000 media value.

The campaign was presented by Claire Chazal, the iconic TF1 news anchor, in France’s most popular timeslot, reaching an average of 8.6m people.The toolkit was also talked about on channels BFM TV, M6, LCI.On Canal +, Le Petit Journal’s news anchor handed the toolkit to each candidate on live TV, reaching political leaders directly, as well as an audience of 6.6m people.Hundreds of blogs and influential websites relayed the campaign in a very positive way.In the end, the bet was won: the media offered national coverage to the topic of the end of Aids epidemic, the candidates had to express themselves on a topic that they had thus far ignored.