Perceived effectiveness of international AIDS campaigns

Abstract

Twenty-one international television announcements about AIDS were evaluated by 56 persons during a public information session in Toronto, Canada. Each person was classified as having a high or low risk of contracting AIDS on the basis of his or her sexual interests. Each gave moment-by-moment responses to the announcements on a hand-held electronic response unit. Indices of mean and maximum effectiveness were compared. The announcements perceived as the most educationally effective were those which presented hard facts about AIDS in a simple and straight forward manner. Complex and emotional campaigning techniques drew negative responses. Uses of light humour were positively received by high-risk viewers. Three of the five announcements perceived as the most successful have never been sanctioned for general broadcast use in their countries; the public service announcements (PSAs) perceived as the least successful have been broadcast in their countries more frequently. The results confirm recommendations made for the design of health campaign materials since the First World War. The future role of formative evaluation techniques in the prevention of AIDS via public media is discussed.

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