Despite decades of progress in HIV treatment, public understanding has not kept pace with the science. Outdated narratives persist – fuelled by stigma, misinformation, and a growing silence in policy discourse. In many regions, HIV is still wrongly perceived as an issue of the past, despite clear evidence that it remains a global epidemic. This quieting of public conversation has only deepened the stigma faced by those living with the virus. ViiV’s mission: ensure no person living with HIV is left behind – medically or socially.

The People Living with HIV Stigma Index Global Report 2023 revealed:

• 37.6% of people living with HIV experienced internalised stigma, feeling ashamed of their status
• 24.9% faced discrimination when seeking non-HIV-specific health services
• 23.6% encountered stigma within community settings in the past year

Broader societal silence and outdated perceptions create significant barriers to progress.

ViiV Healthcare, the only pharmaceutical company 100% focused on HIV, saw a unique opportunity to lead with purpose – not just as a developer of medicines, but as a catalyst for cultural and systemic change. Despite its innovation leadership, ViiV still faced a perception problem: many viewed it as a niche or challenger brand. While it was well-known within HIV advocacy circles, its wider visibility among policy influencers and healthcare leaders was limited.

This campaign offered the chance to reposition ViiV as a credible, compassionate leader in the global fight to end HIV – using the power of media to spark empathy, shift public narratives, and challenge stigma. To do so, the campaign had to move beyond awareness. It needed to foster understanding, normalise conversation, and build cultural permission to talk about HIV without fear or shame.

It was not just about brand visibility. It was about igniting progress through purpose-led storytelling.

To maximise reach and relevance, we built a phased media strategy that aligned with key healthcare moments and fully activated CNN’s global, multi-platform ecosystem.

The campaign launched in three waves:

• AIDS Week (July)
• ID Week (October)
• • HIV Glasgow (November)

Timing the campaign with these industry moments ensured the content felt timely, editorially aligned, and relevant to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and influencers.

Amplification tactics included:

• 30s and 15s cutdowns of the hero film deployed as pre-roll across CNN Health and CNN International
• 16 homepage takeovers and native display units, targeting health-focused content
• Social video distribution across CNN LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram stories and feed – driving traffic to the content hub
• Geotargeted paid media in the US and key European markets, reaching verified healthcare professionals and senior decision-makers
• Retargeting using CNN’s first-party data and lookalike audiences to optimise for high-intent viewers

A key innovation was placing the 30s cutdown film within CNN’s 2024 Olympics and US Election coverage – two culturally significant moments where purpose-led messaging could resonate at scale.

This wasn’t just media distribution. It was a precision-targeted, insight-led content strategy – placing ViiV’s message in front of those who could amplify it further, from clinical leaders to cultural changemakers.

This campaign set out to do more than raise awareness – it aimed to drive cultural change and social impact, by challenging outdated narratives around HIV and directly addressing the stigma that still isolates millions.

Reach & Engagement

The campaign delivered exceptional visibility and engagement across CNN’s global platforms:

• 12.4M impressions
• 1.2M video views, with 974K full completions
• 51K article page views, with an average dwell time of 2:06 mins (vs. CNN benchmark of 1:10 mins)
• 28.4M additional reach via CNN’s Olympics and US Election TVC placements
• +46% over-delivery on social, +21% over-delivery on site media

Shifting Perception & Tackling Stigma

Critically, the campaign didn’t just reach people – it moved them:

• 90% reported a positive shift in perception of HIV treatment companies like ViiV (+19pts above CNN benchmark)
• 96% of respondents said the content helped them better understand HIV-related stigma
• 88% found the content informative and engaging, reinforcing its educational and societal value
  These results demonstrate the campaign’s success in delivering measurable social good – by using storytelling not only to inform, but to build empathy and challenge discrimination.

Endorsement & Continuity

Internally, ViiV circulated a bespoke film to Global Senior Leadership, showcasing the purpose-driven impact of the partnership and reinforcing the campaign’s strategic value. Externally, the campaign has been renewed for Phase 2, launching in July 2025, focusing on the real-world impact of ViiV’s innovations on people living with HIV.

This is not just a campaign – it’s a long-term platform for awareness, advocacy, and tangible social progress in the fight to end HIV and the stigma around it.

Ending the Endemic