Hot on the heels of Quentin Tarantino’s World War II revenge flick Inglourious Basterds, which hit theaters in August, German charity Regenbogen e.V. and Hamburg-based advertising agency das comitee made notorious Nazi leader Adolf Hitler the face of an HIV prevention campaign to promote safe sex.
The ads, which bear the slogan “AIDS Is a Mass Murderer,” began airing on television in September. During the 45-second advert, a steamy sexual encounter gets scary when the man’s face morphs into that of Hitler, complete with a devious grin. The print campaign features other infamous dictators such as Joseph Stalin and Saddam Hussein.
While the shocking ads are meant to vilify HIV/AIDS itself, and not those living with the virus, advocates and HIV-positive people worldwide have spoken out against the campaign for inadvertently reinforcing stigma.
After POZ.com ran this story on September 8, Lou from New York City pegged it as “disgusting, hurtful and extremely offensive.”
That’s one person’s opinion, but what do the rest of you think about the campaign? Let us know by visiting poz.com/article/german-hiv-prevention-hitler-17220-6722.
Inglourious Adsters?
A German HIV prevention campaign starring Adolf Hitler ignites controversy.
Comments
Comments