In the Netherlands, the battle against AIDS is steadily advancing. Medical treatments and precautionary medicines are mainstream; helping prevent new infections and deaths. But this perception of positivity and control, reinforced by what is published in the media, has taken the focus off a disease that has claimed the lives of millions of people worldwide. It’s stopping the Dutch public from supporting the ongoing fight against the disease and even affects government funding. By showing the harsh reality of the AIDS epidemic, we can create renewed awareness for people, organisations, and governments, and give new purpose to future fundraising efforts. Our brief was to make a bold statement—to reveal the horrifying truths. We did this, not by using 40year old, clichéd imagery, but by stepping away from stereotypes to update the story. This campaign was executed on a concept and production budget of €66,000, and a media budget of €399,000.

On December 1st, World AIDS Day, the same day the UN released updated statistics on the disease, we unveiled a new monument in the centre of Amsterdam. A monument that would make these cold, hard facts tangible and emotional. A 3D printed, bright pink statue of a lady crying tears at the same tempo lives are lost to AIDS—every 40 seconds. This poignant statue stood in a pond filled with 32 million tears. One for every victim so far. The central idea of an integrated campaign, the statue was supported by DOOH screens throughout the city centre, which also communicated the message and drove awareness and traffic to our installation. A TV-commercial and online advertising led people to the Aidsfonds website, while micro-targeted social ads and stories showed the real people behind the tears in the form of short documentaries.

Created using a 3D printer, the statue was built with integrated tracks to allow a natural flow of tears. We chose to represent the female based on the fact that Aids is still the number 1 cause of death amongst women under 50, and the final colour choice was reached by three deciding factors. 1. Aids doesn't see colour, culture or creed, so our statue had to be neutral to keep full focus on the epidemic 2. We wanted to create maximum impact and visibility. 3. Pink was considered an eye-catching, highly photogenic colour that was working well in campaign mock-ups.

The statue received nationwide media coverage across all media channels, and all major national media titles reported on it. The integrated campaign had a major effect on all relevant brand associations, increasing the relevance and value of the Aidsfonds brand. During the campaign, the Aidsfonds also saw a 53% increase in organic search volume and site visits quintupled. Even though the willingness to donate to NGOs is on the decline, the campaign was able to break this trend—increasing online donations by a massive +80% (vs. 2018).