Awards finalist (2026)
ViiV Healthcare: Making HIV History –
Reaching an HIV-free Generation
Brand:
ViiV Healthcare
Entered by:
CNN International Commercial
Credits:
Publicis Media
Category:
Social Good
Phase Two focused on moving the story forward, from awareness of progress to clarity on impact. It aimed to demonstrate that innovation in HIV is defined not only by new treatments, but by how those treatments are understood, accessed, and experienced by people across generations.
Content Solution
Phase Two expanded the “Ending the Epidemic” platform by focusing on how innovation in HIV treatment and prevention is experienced in real life. Under the campaign title This Is What Innovation Looks Like, the content highlighted ViiV’s leadership in long-acting injectables and the role these options play in reshaping HIV care.
CNN continued as the media partner, offering global reach and editorial credibility among healthcare professionals and informed public audiences. Building on the innovation messaging introduced in Phase One, this phase placed lived experience at the centre of the story.
The content programme included two lifestyle films, two bespoke digital articles, and supporting social content. The central film was a 90-second lifestyle piece featuring contributors from across the HIV ecosystem, including healthcare professionals, activists – all individuals with personal lived experience of treatment and prevention.
Filmed in natural, everyday environments, the content was shot in a documentary-style format using off-camera interviews. A multi‑generational perspective contrasted historical HIV treatment experiences with the options now available, highlighting the shift from a single treatment model to greater choice, including the option of long-acting injectables.
The narrative focused on innovation, access, impact, ambition, and determination. Structured questions ensured key messages were clearly communicated while allowing contributors to speak candidly. The film bridged clinical insight with personal experience, illustrating how shared decision-making can support improved outcomes.
Contributors included senior clinicians and advocates, as well as people currently using long-acting injectable treatments or prevention. Their perspectives reinforced credibility and trust, showing how scientific progress translates into meaningful choice, quality of life considerations, and confidence in care.
Together, the content demonstrated how ViiV’s innovation is helping to extend possibilities in HIV treatment and prevention, supporting its long-term ambition to leave no person living with HIV behind.
Media/Content Amplification Solution
The amplification strategy for Phase Two was designed to deliver broad awareness while maintaining relevance across markets and audiences. Activity focused on the United States and select European markets, with content adapted to meet regional regulatory requirements and ensure global compliance.
The campaign ran in targeted bursts aligned with key industry moments, including ID Week and the European AIDS Conference. This timing ensured the content appeared in contexts where audiences were already engaged with HIV-related topics.
Amplification included:
- 30s and 15s cutdowns of the hero film delivered as pre-roll across CNN Health and CNN International.
- 14 CNN Health homepage takeovers and native display placements within health-focused environments
- Social video distribution across CNN LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram channels to drive traffic to the content hub
- Geotargeted paid media in the US and Europe, reaching verified healthcare professionals and influential audiences
- Retargeting using CNN first-party data and lookalike audiences to optimise performance among high-intent viewers
The media plan prioritised editorial alignment and consistency with the Phase One campaign. Messaging was designed to reinforce existing awareness while clearly introducing the next stage of the story, focused on long-acting injectables and informed choice.
By embedding the content within trusted health environments, the campaign supported sustained engagement rather than short-term exposure. This approach ensured that discussions around innovation in HIV treatment and prevention were credible, relevant, and accessible to audiences positioned to influence understanding and adoption.
Results
Phase Two delivered strong results across reach, engagement, and perception, supporting both brand objectives and broader social understanding of HIV innovation.
Reach and Engagement:
The campaign achieved substantial visibility across CNN platforms:
- 4.8M impressions.
- 1.1M video views.
- 21K article page views, with an average dwell time of 2:15 minutes compared with a CNN benchmark of 1:50 minutes.
- 43% average 75 percent or higher article scroll depth, nearly double the benchmark.
These results indicate a high level of attention and engagement with the content.
Shifting Perception:
The campaign also delivered positive shifts in understanding and sentiment:
- 91% reported a positive shift in perception of HIV treatment companies like ViiV, 14 points above the CNN benchmark.
- 94% said the content helped them better understand the work being done to address HIV-related stigma.
- 80% found the content informative and engaging.
The findings demonstrate that audiences engaged deeply with the human-led content, whilst also developing a clearer understanding of innovation in HIV care and its broader impact.
By showing how long-acting injectables expand treatment and prevention options, Phase Two strengthened awareness of ViiV’s leadership while reinforcing progress toward a future where HIV care is shaped by choice, understanding, and access.
