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agenda setting idea
Rock the Ribbon
HIV has come a long way, but the stigma from the 80s remains, evoking judgement, discrimination and fear.
![WAD_Male_Posters_A3_Page_1[2].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/13aee8_4e020daaad7f40f5a15efb249fb93393~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_225,h_324,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/WAD_Male_Posters_A3_Page_1%5B2%5D.jpg)
![Rock-The-Ribbon-Poster-1---Portrait[6].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/13aee8_1e45a5d69dcd4ff4bcb1c301465a113d~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_225,h_324,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Rock-The-Ribbon-Poster-1---Portrait%5B6%5D.jpg)
![WAD_Female_Posters_A3_Page_4[2].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/13aee8_c33e8c7a0dc04f0f87275ac956868e18~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_225,h_324,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/WAD_Female_Posters_A3_Page_4%5B2%5D.jpg)
Tragically, the iconic Red Ribbon of HIV has absorbed this same stigma, resulting in one in 5 people refusing to wear it, and, by extension, refusing their support for the cause.
But we realised this barrier could be an opportunity; if the ribbon symbolises HIV, what if we changed attitudes to the ribbon? Could we, in turn, change attitudes towards HIV?
So with a twist and a whole heap of attitude, we breathed new life into the ribbon…
We made it fun and exciting. We made it Rock. We made it into something you couldn’t help but love.
We launched with a powerful film voiced by Stephen Fry and starring Childish Gambino’s choreographer Sherrie Silver rocking the ribbon in her own way, to encourage the public to rock it themselves.
Then, on World AIDs Day at Europe’s largest digital site, we gave them the opportunity to do so. Using the power of live capture technology we invited the public to not just wear the ribbon, but transform into one.
Gamifying the fundraising experience, the more they rocked it, the more our partner sponsor donated. Sharing the fun on social media allowed us to raise awareness and change attitudes: all through dance.
Rocking the ribbon became central to the UK’s World Aids Day efforts – with schools, companies, politicians and celebrities using the rock the ribbon message and resources to pledge their support. School engagement increased by 50% and even The London Fire Brigade created the UK’s largest ribbon.
In just a few days, we reached 60 million impressions worldwide with unprecedented numbers wearing the red ribbon – joining the fight against HIV one ribbon at a time.
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