Willy + Smutley Have Been 'Round the Block

The French are privy to the best AIDS awareness ads in the whole wide world. (Consider. And. And!) Work for Aides by Goodby Silverstein & Partners. Here's another from the same campaign: I give you Smutley the promiscuous cat!


When I first decided to visit France in 2006 (a kind of scouting vacation), my dad invited me to dinner. We didn't talk much, but toward the end, he suddenly went, "One of my co-workers had a daughter a lot like you: smart, pretty. Whole world going for her. She went to France on vacation and fell in love. Then she got AIDS, and now she's dead. Have a good trip."
And on that somber note, he ushered me out the door and on my merry way.

AIDS is Still Out There! Get Tested.

Today is World AIDS Day, and in days past we've seen plen'y of lead-ups prepping us for the advertising melodrama that comes with. (There's also a great spirit of joining-together-in-solidarity, but in advertising you see mostly melodrama.)

Case in point, this piece for AIDES by TBWA\Paris.



Among other celebratory/supportive activities, you can add an AIDS Day Help! Picbadge to your Facebook profile picture (which we did). You can also give props to This Prick, which is using ironic paper/digital "litter" to remind us of the dangers of this invisible killer.



Hats off to cleverness that scathes! Those naughties.

And on the topic of invisible killers comes our favourite execution du jour. It's for Canada's One Life to Live and it feels very art house cinema-meets-Degrassi. The idea follows that not ensuring you're protected, and getting regularly tested, is like permitting yourself to be attacked unawares by an invisible tormentor.



Thass some stylish messaging right there. Happy World AIDS Day, guys. Support a sufferer near you, and for Chrissakes, pick your balls up and get tested already if you haven't been since changing unprotected partners. Don't be gross and lame.