• by Les Luchter , 4 hours ago

“When you date, stay up to date on your HIV prevention and sexual health,” declares a humorous video depicting health-conscious preparations for a late-night booty call.

Largely directed towards Black women, the spot co-stars comedian Nicole Byer, host of the long-running “Why Won’t You Date Me?” podcast.

“Nearly half of all new HIV diagnoses in women are Black women,” explains Byer in the video, providing the rationale for the awareness campaign, which comes from pharma firm Gilead and ad agency Majority.

Titled “Up to Date,” the campaign aims “to encourage Black adults who are sexually active, especially women, to know their HIV status, have real conversations about sexual health, and talk to their healthcare provider about the most effective oral and injectable PrEP options,” Ashley Gildea, Gilead’s vice president, marketing, U.S. HIV Prevention, tells Marketing Daily.

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) treatments, despite being available to prevent HIV for over a decade, have had relatively low pickup.

“The campaign centers around storytelling,” Gildea says, “using relatable relationship scenarios that reflect the Black community with authenticity to meet people in their real lives with the message that that being ‘up to date’ -- knowing your HIV status and talking openly and honestly about HIV prevention -- is empowering, attractive, and the foundation of healthy relationships.”

Also starring Devon Walker (“Saturday Night Live”) as the hookup’s other half, :30 and :60 versions of the video are rotating on multiple streaming services, including airings during Peacock’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” which Gildea notes “has built a strong, loyal following among Black audiences.”

The spots are also running on Urban One, BET, Tubi and Roku.

“Up to Date,” running through at least year’s end, also includes display ads “across a variety of digital direct publishers and addressable platforms,” Gildea says, along with paid and organic social posts (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat), and custom podcasts with iHeart and SPILL, such as Byer’s program. 

In addition to talking to healthcare providers, campaign content also suggests visiting CareForTheCulture.com.

The latter is the hub for a larger Gilead initiative that launched last November to address HIV stigma and promote PrEP use. One highlight has been this video, with T-Boz reimagining her ‘90s hit  TLC hit “Creep” as “So We PrEP.”