Jo Bola Wohi Sikander - HIV and AIDS Campaign

This initiative drew on the social marketing approach to inform men about the risk that unprotected sex poses to them, and to motivate them to talk to their friends about HIV and AIDS prevention. The campaign centres around a brightly coloured animated parrot (an animal that organisers believe represents talking and intelligence). The parrot was designed to come across as smart, pesky, opinionated, and humourous. The creative idea behind the contest was that - instead of just telling people to talk about sexual health (didactic) - it stimulates people to talk (catalyst for interpersonal discussion).

Specifically, the project revolved around a social welfare awareness campaign that was designed to create awareness about benefits of condom use in disease prevention through a riddle. The key approach was the use of PSAs encouraging men to enter a contest - one which carried a prize designed to spark further communication: a camera mobile phone with free talk-time. Although open to women as well, the contest involved an advertising strategy designed to appeal to young men. The PSA involves 3 "thugs" accosting a "nerd" (a man wearing thick glasses) in the street. The nerd nervously unfurls a poster that announces the contest, and then sings the riddle: "It's the mark of a man...but it's not a moustache. It's the other name for safety...no, it's not a helmet. It's a small little thing... without a doubt. Those who don't talk about... nah, they aren't men! What is this small thing?' Parrot repeats: 'What is this small thing?' The nerd says to one of the thugs: 'Don't tell me. Make a phone call.'" The PSA was aired on television and the radio and in cinemas, as well as on location at beaches and shopping malls.

HIV/AIDS, Gender.

According to the BBC World Service Trust, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that approximately 2.5 million people in India are living with HIV, which only falls behind South Africa in terms of absolute numbers. The highest rates of infection are among men in the south of the country.

By the closing date, more than 394,000 people had participated in the contest.