The next time a client asks for a dangerous idea, the bar has been raised by Saatchis in Switzerland and Vangardist.
The magazine has printed a (limited) edition made in some part out of ink containing HIV+ blood.
The story, which has taken the online world by storm, has certainly put the topic back on the agenda. And, as everyone involved has been at pains to mention, has got people talking about a subject that has fallen off the agenda.
The question we’ve been pondering is whether the execution has rather overshadowed the very thing it was supposed to raise awareness of.
For sure, as admirers of great creative leaps, we’ve been chatting about it in the office. But the truth is that very little of the coverage has had much impact than getting us to think “what a clever idea that is”.
Has it de-stigmatised anything? Not really. Has it made anyone make a link to thinking about HIV-sufferers particularly? Or talk about safe sex? Or about donating to HIV charities? Nope, not that’s been notable.
So this is without question a cracking piece of creative thinking. It rather remains to be seen whether it has any material impact beyond a lot of media coverage about a rather creative idea. Whether it’ll have any lasting impact beyond that is rather in doubt at this stage …
