Congratulations! You're one of the few people

When I went to Paris for the New Year's celebration, I noticed a series of close-up portraitures on outdoor billboards all over the city centre. It intrigued as the bus stops and other stands were decorated with faces of the young and beautiful. Men and women. And no text to explain the idea of the faces. Except for the two lines printed in a tiny font. Awkwardly placed on the models' eyes.

To read the two lines, you had to come up close to the faces. The text in French read: "Congratulations, you're one of the few people who have the courage to come close to HIV-infected people."

I was bewildered - the idea of this social advertising campaign is 100% smart. And it does get the message across. You read the lines once and then you understand what's behind all those faces throughout Paris when you see them again. A series of faces, a variety of looks. The authors of this campaign deserve the highest praise!

Paris, December 2006