AHF Ramps Up “Change AIDS Obama” Campaign with Full Page Ad in Roll Call

Campaign to Prod President Obama to Act on AIDS Has Included Controversial D.C. Bus Shelter Ad “AIDS is DC’s Katrina,” Thought-Provoking Viral Videos, an Ongoing eLetter-Writing Campaign and an Interactive Website: www.changeAIDSobama.org

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation’s largest AIDS organization, today ramped up its “Change AIDS Obama” campaign with a full-page ad in Roll Call, an influential source for news for those on Capitol Hill. The ad is similar to AHF’s “AIDS is DC’s Katrina” bus shelter ads now appearing throughout Washington, D.C. The provocative ad contrasts an iconic photo of an indifferent George W. Bush looking out the window of Air Force One at the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans with a close up photo of a seemingly homeless person’s pair of hands holding tightly onto a piece of a battered corrugated cardboard with the phrase, “AIDS is DC’s Katrina” scrawled in red across the cardboard. This latest effort is part of AHF’s “Change AIDS Obama” campaign designed to prod President Obama to act forcefully on AIDS. Other aspects of the campaign include several thought-provoking viral videos, an ongoing eLetter-writing campaign and an interactive website: www.changeAIDSobama.org.

The bus shelter ads recently prompted commentary from one D.C. resident who remarked during an in-depth local Fox TV Channel 5 news segment, AIDS Ads Take Jab at President Obama, that he agreed with ads. “We have a serious problem here in the District of Columbia with AIDS,” remarked the gentleman. “Enough is not being done to combat it—the same with the Katrina catastrophe.” FOX 5 reported their calls to the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services to get a response to AHF’s ad campaign were not returned.

“The intent of the ‘Change AIDS Obama’ campaign is to remind President Obama that he need not go further than his own backyard to witness the nation’s worsening HIV/AIDS epidemic and the failure of U.S. HIV prevention efforts,” said Michael Weinstein, AHF’s President. “AHF produced the print ad and companion viral video after the recent revelation that the HIV prevalence rate in Washington surged past 3%—higher than the rate found in Lagos, Nigeria. Though the President has so far been silent on AIDS, we remain hopeful that he and his administration will be the change we can believe in on AIDS.”

The Roll Call print ad can viewed at: www.changeAIDSobama.org

The Fox Channel 5 TV piece can be viewed at:
http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/060909_aids_ads_take_jab_at_president

Contacts

AHF
Lori Yeghiayan, Associate Director of Communications
Office: 323-860-5227
Cell: 323-377-4312
loriy {at} aidshealth(.)org
or
Ged Kenslea, Communications Director
Office: 323-860-5225
Cell: 323-791-5526
gedk {at} aidshealth(.)org