NEW YORK, NY – May 4, 2022 – Today, ViiV Healthcare, the only pharmaceutical company solely focused on HIV announced a new campaign, “Me in You, You in Me.” The campaign aims to bring communities together to de-stigmatize, normalize and catalyze open conversations around HIV prevention. A PSA campaign featuring celebrities, influencers, and advocates, will launch on ViiV Healthcare’s YouTube channel on Tuesday, May 10th.
Participants featured in “Me in You, You in Me” include businesswoman, fashion designer, and philanthropist Tina Knowles-Lawson (@mstinalawson), sports analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose (@jalenvseverybody), actor, comedian, and activist Kalen Allen (@thekalenallen), photographer Juan Veloz (@jveloz), TikTok influencer and activist Ve’ondre Mitchell (@veondremitchell), & model and sex worker Reno Gold (@reno_gold).
“Me in You, You in Me” powerfully illustrates how finding community in others and overcoming bias is crucial to ensuring that everyone can play a part in HIV prevention.
In a social experiment aimed at stripping away our culture’s pre-existing biases and stigmas, participants were asked to build a connection sight unseen. Me in You, You in Me brought together people who, at first glance, may have appeared different based on what they looked like, their backgrounds, and their experiences. In their initial conversations, the participants spoke anonymously. They were tasked with finding common ground around community and HIV prevention by discussing the ways in which they want to be loved, how they want to be seen, what makes them feel powerful, how they want to be desired, and their reasons for participating in the campaign. Several weeks later, they met on a set in New York City, and we filmed the moment they opened their eyes and ‘saw’ each other for the first time, creating an impactful showcase of shared human experience.
“In a world where we are often reminded of all the ways we are different, this campaign is an exploration of all things we share. It’s an invitation to find community in and with each other to increase everyone’s acceptance of and participation in HIV prevention,” said Marc Meachem, Head of US External Affairs, ViiV Healthcare. “Recognizing that the communities most disproportionately affected by HIV are those who have benefited the least from the advances in HIV prevention, this campaign seeks to ensure that all people are aware of the different options to prevent HIV and connect them to resources.”
At its core, “Me in You, You in Me” aims to spotlight that while HIV prevention is an individual act, it is also a community effort where we all have a role to play.
For some, participation looks like individuals accessing HIV prevention medications. While for others, it might be understanding U=U, and utilizing HIV treatment as prevention; for families, friends, and communities, prevention might involve normalizing prevention conversations, educating others on the importance of HIV prevention, creating spaces where people are encouraged and supported for prioritizing their sexual health and shifting the narrative surrounding HIV.
The campaign was produced by creative and entertainment studio Harley & Co. and directed by Sarah Hall and Arthur Vallin.
For more information on “Me in You, You in Me,” visit www.hivpreventionforus.com
