German monthly men’s magazine Vangardist has infused HIV-positive blood with ink to print its latest issue.
The campaign was created by Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland with hopes the initiative will help put an end to the social stigma surrounding HIV. The blood was donated by three individuals living with HIV.
Some 3000 copies of the magazine were printed to coincide with HIV event Life Ball in Vienna.
Not surprisingly, the campaign has generated a heap of coverage around the world, however Saatchi stressed it used the most stringent controls in developing and printing the magazine to ensure it’s 100% safe to handle with no risk of infection.
Commenting on the attention being generated around the magazine, and the rationale behind the campaign, Julian Wiehl, publisher and CEO of Vangardist said: “The editorial team at Vangardist is committed to dealing with a wide variety of topics affecting our readers. We believe that as a lifestyle magazine it is our responsibility to address the issues shaping society today.
“With 80% more confirmed cases of HIV being recorded in 2013 than 10 years previously, and an estimated 50% of HIV cases being detected late due to lack of testing caused by social stigma associated with the virus. This felt like a very relevant issue for us to focus on not just editorially but also from a broader communications stand point.”
Image via Saatchi blog.
