Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - December 1, 2005
NEW YORK, Dec. 1 -- Kenneth Cole, in conjunction with KNOW HIV/AIDS, a joint public education initiative of Viacom Inc. and the Kaiser Family Foundation, today unveiled the "We All Have AIDS" campaign, which brings together key entertainment, political, social and scientific leaders in an effort to foster needed solidarity and to bring light to the devastating stigma associated with those living today with HIV/AIDS. The goal is to encourage millions to learn more, protect themselves, get tested and find treatment. The effort includes an arresting photograph with a compelling message about stigma that will be seen and heard by hundreds of millions via newspaper, magazines, radio and outdoor public service advertisements (PSAs), along with a new dedicated website, a t-shirt initiative and public art installation.
The campaign exemplifies a unified response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, asserting that if anyone has AIDS, we all do, and if it exists anywhere it essentially exists everywhere. The tagline reads "We All Have AIDS ... If One Of Us Does." In the print and outdoor ads, the tagline is written across a photograph taken by renowned photographer Mark Seliger. Among those pictured are President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sir Elton John, Alicia Keys, Will Smith, Sharon Stone and Dame Elizabeth Taylor, all of whom are shown stepping into cement, representing their commitment to the global fight against HIV/AIDS. A public art installation of their footprints along with their images will be on display in New York City's Bryant Park on December 1.
"Our goal is to create the largest public service campaign in the history of the devastating HIV epidemic. After two decades, stigma still challenges efforts to prevent, treat and to ultimately cure HIV/AIDS. This coalition represents many of the world's most accomplished, devoted and inspiring AIDS activists. With help from these extraordinary role models we hope to foster solidarity so that the world can focus on improving HIV prevention and treatment programs, and support necessary AIDS research," says Kenneth Cole.
As part of the campaign's collaboration with KNOW HIV/AIDS, the outdoor PSAs are running across Viacom's outdoor properties, including billboard, bus and bus shelter advertising faces in the nation's largest markets. Radio spots feature Richard Gere, Barry Manilow, Ben McKenzie, Liza Minnelli, Julianne Moore, Natasha Richardson and Mena Suvari, among others, who lend their voices and read the "We All Have AIDS" tagline aloud. These spots will air on a number of Viacom's 179 Infinity Broadcasting radio stations, a majority of which are located in the top 50 markets.
"For the past three years, KNOW HIV/AIDS has brought together the power of our media brands and Kaiser's expertise to spark a dialogue about the devastating effects of AIDS," said Carl D. Folta, Executive Vice President of Viacom. "Kenneth Cole, too, has been at the forefront of raising AIDS awareness, and we believe the combined power of these shared visions will bring a new level of urgency to the epidemic proportions this disease has reached."
In addition, the "We All Have AIDS" print PSAs are already scheduled to run in about 200 publications internationally, including Vogue, French Vogue, Vanity Fair, Bell' Italia, Luna, InStyle, InStyle Spain, The New Yorker, The Sunday Telegraph, Elle Belgique, Men's Journal, Out, Us Weekly, Time, People, Rolling Stone and many others. The six-page insert will also run on World AIDS Day in The New York Times, Boston Globe, and The Chicago Tribune.
"Uniting such a powerful, high-profile group sends a strong and clear message that HIV/AIDS is an issue that deserves the world's attention and more still needs to be done," said Matt James, Senior Vice President, Kaiser Family Foundation.
Kenneth Cole has also created a new website (http://www.weallhaveaids.com) that allows users to learn more about the disease and other HIV/AIDS organizations, some of which are supported by the featured participants. Additional information is available at http://www.knowHIVAIDS.org, where users can locate a nearby HIV testing site and find more information about the disease as well as ways to get involved in the fight.
Limited edition "We All Have AIDS" t-shirts will be sold at Barneys New York stores, Kenneth Cole New York stores, Theory New York stores, Scoop New York, Planet Blue in Los Angeles and Louis Boston in Boston. Holt Renfrew in Canada and Selfridges in London will also carry the t-shirts. The proceeds from the $35 t-shirt will go to the "We All Have AIDS" foundation to help further promote solidarity and the eradication of the stigma of AIDS through prevention and education programs.
About "We All Have AIDS"
More than two decades into the worst healthcare crisis the world has ever known, stigma still challenges efforts to prevent, to treat and, ultimately, to cure HIV/AIDS. Together with a persistent lack of access to testing, care and treatment, stigma means that 90% of the people living with HIV/AIDS don't know it. But by joining forces, we can prevent, control and eradicate stigma. That is what the "We All Have AIDS" campaign is about. Because if one of us has AIDS, we all have it.
A not-for-profit charity is being formed to continue the work of this campaign. The "We All Have AIDS" foundation will become an independent entity, which will extend and expand efforts to reduce stigma and build solidarity with education and prevention programs. The Foundation's mission to eliminate stigma will rely on the active partnership of a growing list of HIV/AIDS organizations, key scientific, political and entertainment figures, and individuals who will stand with this campaign in support.
About Kenneth Cole
Renowned American designer and humanitarian Kenneth Cole believes "It is great to be known for your shoes. It is even better to be recognized for your soul." Kenneth Cole joined the Board of Directors of amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, in July 1987, became Vice Chairman in April 2002 and, on World AIDS Day 2004, was named Chairman of the Board. Cole was the first designer to speak out about HIV/AIDS with the first public service campaign he ran in 1985, photographed by Annie Liebowitz. Twenty years later he is the driving force behind the "We All Have AIDS" campaign.
About KNOW HIV/AIDS
KNOW HIV/AIDS combines the power of Viacom's media brands and unmatched audience relationships with the public health expertise of the Kaiser Family Foundation to foster awareness of the disease and its prevention. Every Viacom division is involved in the campaign, and 123 messages have aired to date, totaling $600 million in media value. Many of the PSAs are offered rights-free and cost-free to other television or radio networks. Additionally, Viacom properties, including CBS, UPN, MTV, BET, VH1 and Showtime, have produced more than 46 television shows with HIV/AIDS themes seen by millions worldwide. The campaign targets areas of the world where Viacom has a concentration of assets, especially the United States and Europe, and it partners with other companies to focus on regions most affected by the disease. Outside of the United States, KNOW HIV/AIDS is branded Staying Alive, building on MTV International's award-winning campaign of the same name, and encompasses the full range of Viacom's international properties.
Through a joint effort of KNOW HIV/AIDS and the BBC World Service Trust, messages in seven languages are broadcast to 60 million people in Africa and the Caribbean. In Russia, the campaign has teamed up with Gazprom-Media, Russia's largest private media holding, to help implement a cross-platform initiative on HIV/AIDS. KNOW HIV/AIDS is working in China with MTV and CCTV for a branded AIDS awareness campaign in the world's largest country.
About Viacom Inc.
Viacom is a leading global media company, with preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, radio, outdoor advertising, and online. With programming that appeals to audiences in every demographic category across virtually all media, the Company is a leader in the creation, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, music, and comedy. Viacom's well-known brands include CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, VH1, BET, Paramount Pictures, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, UPN, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, King World, Spike TV, Showtime, Paramount Parks, and Simon & Schuster. More information about Viacom and its businesses is available at http://www.viacom.com.
Earlier this year, the Company announced it would be separating its businesses into two publicly traded companies, and expects the transaction will likely be completed by the end of 2005. The new Viacom will include MTV Networks (MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, Spike TV, TV Land and many other networks around the world), BET, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Home Entertainment and Famous Music. CBS Corporation will consist of the CBS Television Network, UPN, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, Viacom Television Stations Group, Paramount Television, King World, Simon & Schuster, Showtime and Paramount Parks.
About The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health issues to policymakers, the media, and the general public. It is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. Information on HIV/AIDS is available at http://www.kff.org, and a daily news summary report on developments in HIV/AIDS is available on http://www.kaisernetwork.org, the Foundation's free health information service.
"The We All Have AIDS" leaders featured in the attached photograph:
On The Radio
Footprints
SOURCE Kenneth Cole
Web Site: http://www.weallhaveaids.com
http://www.knowHIVAIDS.org
http://www.kencole.com
http://www.viacom.com
http://www.kff.org
http://www.kaisernetwork.org
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