As a participant in the nationwide Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative, the city of Austin sought to create an informative, optimistic, and impactful campaign that spoke to people living with HIV (PLWH).
Belmont’s partnership began in earnest in December 2022, when we joined Austin Public Health and a talented photo/videography team in Austin to capture the incredible and inspiring stories of real people living with HIV in the community. These became the basis of our colorful campaign, “HIV Ends with U.”
More than just a slogan, “HIV Ends with U” serves as a bold call to action to encourage PLWH to start or restart treatment no matter where they stand in their health journeys.
Leading the initiative for the city, Austin Public Health specifically wanted to speak to PLWH who may have stopped treatment or never started treatment after their diagnoses. By getting back into treatment, these Austinites could reach “U=U” status, meaning the virus was undetectable in their bodies and untransmittable to others through sex.
Centered around a website that features their video stories as well as links to local treatment and testing resources, educational content, and healthy living tips, the campaign includes paid and organic social posts, digital display ads, event collateral, and streaming audio spots.