The Problem: PrEP is a game changer in HIV prevention, empowering women and saving lives. But lack of knowledge, low-perceived risk of HIV, and cultural bias make for a disastrous combination for prevention among sex workers and gatekeepers of HIV prevention (i.e. health care workers and counselors). We needed to introduce PrEP in a community rife with rumors, stigma and low education around HIV, without adding to the noise. The campaign needed to feel relevant and compelling to young people and health workers in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and South Africa.

The Solution: With access to the right education and tools, this will be the generation to change the tide in the battle against HIV. By framing HIV prevention as a collective responsibility, we harness the energy of a social movement to motivate action.

TLDR: To increase the uptake of PrEP in countries in Africa, we created a campaign framing HIV prevention as a collective responsibility.

In a fast-paced, one-day workshop, the McCann team created created several campaign concepts, including We Are the Generation. I sketched a heart containing the message to be tested in Africa, (intending to refine it later). But sometimes, once you release something into the world, it grows legs and runs away from you... Before we knew it we were getting photos of the heart sketch printed on t-shirts worn by entire teams in South Africa. 

In 2017, we launched the campaign in other countries, including Lesotho, where the graphic was redrawn in Sesotho.

Client: OPTIONS Consortium

Agency: McCann Global Health

Creative Direction: John Washburn

Role: 
Illustration
Design

Issues:
Health
Disease eradication
Education

Countries:
South Africa
Zimbabwe
Kenya
Lesotho