Aides celebrates aging for its 40th anniversary

PARIS, FRANCE — Paris agency STRIKE unveils a new campaign for AIDES, the leading association fighting against HIV/AIDS in France. Launched this May, the campaign celebrates the 40th anniversary of the association – 40 years of perseverance, struggle, and commitment to the health and rights of people living with HIV and those most at risk of transmission.

Since its establishment in 1984 as the first organization dedicated to combating HIV and hepatitis in France and Europe, AIDES has made considerable progress and fought numerous battles. Significant achievements include the lifting of a ban on condom advertising, the rollout of rapid HIV testing in communities, the authorization and reimbursement of medical care for those carrying the virus, and those at risk, as well as the establishment of “health democracy” through the Kouchner law.

AIDES continues to act with and for populations most exposed to epidemics. Every day, on the ground, the association’s activists work tirelessly to reduce new infections and support those affected in accessing care and advocating for their rights. On a wider scale, AIDES plays a major role in improving the inclusion of patients in the French healthcare system, advancing the rights of vulnerable populations, and combatting discrimination.

Sponsor

Created by agency STRIKE, produced by VOIR Pictures, and skilfully directed by Brazilian filmmaker Ariela Dorf, the film delicately weaves a narrative around the theme of aging and old age, depicting people living with HIV getting ready to go out where each encounter with a mirror reflects a tapestry of wrinkles, greying hair, and sagging skin.

“Through its anniversary campaign, AIDES wants to highlight a largely unrecognized truth that represents a significant victory in the fight against HIV/AIDS: today, individuals receiving effective treatment for HIV can live longer and healthier lives, with no risk of transmitting the virus when their viral load is undetectable,” stated Camille Spire, President of AIDES.

Continuing, she explained, “While we celebrate this advancement, our association nevertheless wants to emphasize that our primary goal of ending the HIV and hepatitis epidemics remains unfulfilled, despite all of the tools at our disposal to achieve it. Defeating these epidemics requires two essential elements that we lack today: adequate funding and strong political will.”

This anniversary campaign not only marks 40 years of struggle, 40 years of medical and social progress, but also the lives of those for whom AIDES has never ceased to fight, those who have never ceased to embody the fight against HIV/AIDS, and those who will continue to fight/live tomorrow.

The campaign will be aired on TV as well and will appear in press and OOH through the outdoor and publication transportation communication networks Mediatransports, Cityz, and JCDecaux. The first media wave is scheduled for May and the second will begin in December coinciding with World AIDS Day.