The Center’s groundbreaking F*ck w/out Fear campaign was awarded five PRism Awards by the Public Relations Society of America.
The sex-positive campaign, developed with partner Weber Shandwick, was launched last January and used raw, real language to get people’s attention and spur conversation about PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis). PrEP involves taking a medicine once-daily that, if used correctly, has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 99 percent.
The F*ck w/o Fear campaign won Best In Show award as well as PRism Awards in the categories of diversity communications, integrated communications, marketing nonprofit/education, and public service nonprofit/education.
“It’s been an honor to partner with the Center on this critically important campaign to motivate people to explore the use of PrEP to protect themselves from getting HIV,” said Jim Wetmore, an executive vice president with Weber Shandwick.
“HIV/AIDS has affected each and every one of us in some way,” Wetmore added. “It has been especially gratifying for our team to be able to help make a difference In our community as we work to end HIV transmission.”
The campaign aimed to combat misconceptions about the safety and effectiveness of PrEP and the belief that it is unaffordable. PrEP is now covered by most insurance plans and for those who are uninsured, the Center helps to make it affordable through patient assistance programs. After a free PrEP consultation, which can be scheduled online, most people are able to leave with a prescription.
The campaign’s website, PrEPHere.org, helps gay and bisexual men determine how strong a candidate they are for PrEP. The campaign has included various events and grassroots advertising, in Spanish and English, to reach those most at risk.