These are the latest buzzwords among young and old in villages, cities and townships around South Africa thanks to “Scrutinize”, a series of innovative HIV-prevention television adverts.

 

Scrutinize is a series of seven short commercials screened on all national television channels in South Africa. The adverts use animated township characters to illustrate the daily life encounters that place young people in the country at risk of contracting HIV.

 

The TV adverts use the characters Victor, a taxi driver, Virginia, a “shebeen queen” (tavern owner), and their celebrity friends to “eliminate the element of HIV surprise” by Scrutinizing or checking out behaviours that place people at risk of HIV.

 

The national campaign is a partnership between USAID/Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa; popular youth brand Levi’s and other local partners.

 

The deputy country programme director for Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa, Bronwyn Pearce, says the campaign is targeted at young people aged 18-32 years.

 

“There is a golden opportunity to shape the sexual behaviours of people while they are young and because young people, especially women, are often vulnerable at these ages, it is important that we develop prevention campaigns that are attention grabbing and effective,” Pearce says.

 

Scrutinize uses South African slang, identifiable characters and tricky situations that young people can easily relate to.

 

“People are more receptive to messaging when they can relate to the language, characters and imagery,” says Pearce. “We wanted to take HIV out of the medical and scientific realm to make it more accessible to people.

 

“Without using too much technical language, people immediately know what you are talking about. People remember the message and, when there is humour in it, it makes a lasting impression and, ultimately, the message can be internalised.”

 

Pearce says Scrutinize aims to get people to reflect on specific behaviours that put them at risk, including multiple and concurrent partnerships, incorrect and inconsistent condom use, alcohol and HIV, and transactional sex.

 

In July, Scrutinize was honoured with a bronze award in the television category at South Africa’s biggest research-based youth marketing and communications awards, the Khuza Awards. The awards are voted for by children and young adults.

 

“Winning an award for which young people spontaneously vote for the most memorable and entertaining ads means that our approach has worked and has overcome the ‘AIDS fatigue’ that South Africa is experiencing,” Pearce adds.

 

“The fact that young people voted for Scrutinize also means that we made an impression on our audience, to the extent that the campaign is top of mind.

 

“The award also endorses our approach of rigorous research to inform the messaging, style and packaging of the ads. As far as I can recall, this is the first social issue or public health issue to win an award of this kind.”

 

The television adverts are not a stand alone campaign. According to Pearce, they are coupled with on-the-ground social mobilisation to further engage young people in an educational and entertaining way.

 

The strategy appears to be working. Pearce says the television campaign has reached 95% of the intended target audience.

 

“Our ultimate aim is to get people to understand what puts them at risk of HIV infection and take action to prevent getting infected.

 

“For us, in terms of our objective with the television campaign, we are confident that we have gotten the message out there, that’s the intention of the mass media campaign,” she explains.

 

“Early indications are that among those who have seen the campaign on television there has been a shift in knowledge and attitudes towards the risk associated with multiple partners, incorrect and inconsistent condom use and alcohol and HIV.”

 

Zolelwa Matrose, a student at the University of Johannesburg, has nothing but praise for the campaign. “It is brilliant,” she says. “The humour makes the seriousness of the message easier on the young audience, but [it is] effective.”

 

Click to watch the Scrutinize adverts.