China Newswire

"Life is Too Good"

englisheditor — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:51:48 +0000

Jackie Chan, Pu Cunxin and Peng Liyuan featured in an ambitious AIDS awareness campaign in China

Beijing, China (December 07, 2007) /China Newswire/ — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Chang Ai Media Project (CAMP) hosted the launching of three new ambitious HIV awareness public service announcements (PSAs) with commercial media and advertisement sector partners to promote safe sexual practices in China.

Featuring Jackie Chan, Pu Cunxin and Peng Liyuan, the PSAs were created by Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon, produced in cooperation with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and distribution in association with UNDP. Yang and Lennon won the Oscar for Best Documentary – Short Subject at the 2006 Academy Awards.

UNDP, through public-private partnerships with China's commercial media and advertisement sector, aims to utilize the market advantage and entry points of these organizations to greatly expand the effectiveness, geographic coverage and sustainability of AIDS awareness and anti-stigma campaigns.

"This public awareness initiative and multi sector partnership with Government, arts, the private sector and the UN, coming together to distribute information about HIV and AIDS demonstrates a new willingness in China address these issues," stated Subinay Nandy, UNDP China Country Director. "Furthermore, it shows our collective resolve against the HIV and AIDS epidemic, which is one of the most serious development challenges affecting all of us."

Participating media companies in this campaign include Air Media, Beijing CityTV Media, EPIN Media Holdings; Ltd., Towona Mobile Media, and www.56.com. By donating air time on their video advertisement platforms potentially hundreds of millions of people will view these new and innovative PSAs every month over the next year. The total estimated value of donated air time is over USD $1.5 million.

"Public discussion of condoms and safer sex is difficult; that's true in China, just as it is in every country in the world. To see this group of private companies step up and help engage in that discussion, in order to save lives, is just great, truly heartening," said Thomas Lennon, the producer of these PSAs.

"The media sector has a duty-bound responsibility to participate in HIV and AIDS prevention. We, City Media as a new media platform, feel proud of this, said Jiang Hongzhi, President of City Media. "We sincerely hope that the message will get to our audiences throughout our 15,000 TV outlets in office buildings and shopping malls and our LED big-screen displays, and that the public will increasingly know how to protect themselves against HIV."

Towona Mobile Media Chairperson, Mr. Yan Lihua, concurs. "Media companies should actively participate in AIDS awareness campaigns, " he said. "Towona Mobile Media currently reaches some 200 million Chinese people every day through its 80,000 video advertisement outlets on 50,000 buses in 32 Chinese cities. With this huge reach we hope to educate our fellow citizens on the crucial issue of HIV prevention. "

Air Media currently operates approximately 18,000 video advertisement screens in 52 Chinese airports, including the major hubs of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. According to Air Media's marketing profile, almost 75% of people who travel through China's airports ranging between 25 and 44 years of age spend on average 75 minutes in an airport each time.

Mr Jay Chang, President of www.56.com, stated, "It is everyone's responsibility to prevent the spread of AIDS. Our website hopes that its Internet campaign will raise awareness about AIDS prevention and encourage people to help persons who are living with HIV and AIDS." The entertainment website www.56.com is China's largest online video sharing site, with over 20 million registered users between 18 and 30 years old. Over 1.5 million visitors have already viewed the PSAs on the 56.com website since their debut on November 30.

EPIN Media currently reaches some 600 million passengers annually with over 50,000 TV displays on 700 trains. They also operate two large LED displays in the Beijing West and Luoyang (Henan province) train stations. "Everyone, including the private sector, is responsible for fighting AIDS. A company should not avoid its social responsibilities," said Tang Lixin, president of EPIN Media. In 2006, EPIN Media previously partnered with UNDP and CAMP to broadcast the Yao Ming/Magic Johnson basketball stars HIV awareness PSA on their train networks.

This series of PSAs was produced, written and directed by Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon, creators of two prior AIDS campaigns on Chinese television, featuring Yao Ming/Magic Johnson (2004) and Peng Liyuan (2006). Their documentary, The Blood of Yingzhou District, about children orphaned by AIDS, won the Oscar for Best Documentary – Short Subject at the 2006 Academy Awards.

INTERNET LINKS

http://camp.56.com

Production entity CAMP
Our goal is to promote public health in China through film, television and other visual media. We are now developing new campaigns about the dangers of smoking, and the need for cleaner air and water.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Chang Ai Media Project (CAMP):
Alison Spector, (English Language)
Mandi Ji, (Chinese Language)
Tel. 86 10 6569 1433

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Edmund Settle, HIV/AIDS Programme Specialist, UNDP
86-10 8532-0775 or edmund.settle@undp.org

Technorati Tags:
UNDP | CAMP | PSAs

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