Indiantelevision.com Team

(16 August 2006 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: The Heroes Project and Star India have announced a two-year extension of their HIV/Aids stigma reduction and prevention campaign.

Actor Richard Gere, who is the co-chair of the Heroes Project said, “Our partnership with Star demonstrates the strength of collaboration and the distinct leadership role media can play in dismantling stigma associated with HIV/Aids.

"We are honoured Star has supported us in creating a great model of guidance we feel will prove invaluable to the prevention of HIV and AIDS, a model that also puts us in a position to directly alter the impact of the disease in Asia. It is with great happiness we announce the extension at the International Aids conference because this is where the project began.”

The relationship with Star India, conducted in partnership with Avahan which is the India Aids initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has helped the Heroes Project reach an estimated 70 million viewers. The Project’s Public Service Announcements (PSAs) have aired over 11,500 times in three languages across Star's channels in India including Star Plus and Star One.

The collaboration has also incorporated HIV/Aids messaging into several primetime shows such as Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea said, “Our partnership with the Heroes Project has been a fulfilling experience for us. We are extremely happy with our extended involvement and believe it will not only strengthen the campaign but will ultimately allow us to send HIV/Aids messaging to a broader audience more effectively. As one of India’s leading media companies, Star takes its corporate social responsibilities very seriously and we hope that our efforts will help make positive changes in the lives of citizens throughout the country.”

“We feel Star India has not only shown exceptional leadership in the media community but has also created an incredible model of corporate engagement towards HIV/AIDS. It is our hope that others will come to the table and offer their support,” Avahan director Ashok Alexander added.

A highlight of the partnership has been the SMS campaign developed by Star’s creative team. This interactive campaign was launched in two phases and drew an extraordinary response of approximately 200,000 hits over a three-month period; 90,000 of which were unique numbers. This response has reinforced Star India and the Heroes Project in their decision to extend the media campaign and has paved the way for the positive evolution of the partnership.

Kaiser Family Foundation senior VP Matt James says, “Since its inception, the Heroes Project has been a powerful force in the fight against HIV/Aids in India. In our work on HIV prevention campaigns around the world, we envisioned efforts that would be ultimately run by local organisations and media companies – Star’s and the Heroes Project’s announcement today of a continued partnership achieves that goal.”

With the campaign’s extension, the Star India and Heroes Project partnership will continue to explore innovative ways to create HIV/Aids messaging through television programming, employee sensitization programs and interactive gaming programs via SMS.

National Aids Control Organisation project director K Sujatha Rao says, “In a very short time, Heroes Project has reached out and connected to key segments of the Indian population, through effective use of mass media and celebrities. The organisation has successfully forged unique media partnerships, and inspired opinion leaders and key influencers to play an active role in the fight against Aids.”