Reaching a hyper-targeted audience with a sensitive health message

The NSW Ministry of Health (NSW Health), manages the NSW public health system, including public hospitals, community health and other public health services and networks.  

NSW had made significant progress towards its goal of virtual elimination of HIV transmission, with declines in HIV notifications in most, but not all, population groups.  

Sexual health services identified challenges in engaging heterosexual men who have sex with men (MSM) through existing traditional and digital media campaigns, which targeted the gay-identifying MSM community. 

The goal of this campaign, named 'Discreet Life', was to increase heterosexual MSM’s engagement and encourage increased HIV testing within this group. 

Convenience Advertising conducted research via MSM-related online chatrooms and websites to identify relevant public bathrooms used for ‘hook-ups’, known as ‘beats’. We partnered with local councils to place messages in these bathrooms, including public toilets in remote locations, to ensure the campaign reached its specific and intended audience, in a relevant environment. 

Campaign messages were delivered at trigger moments when MSMs use hook-up apps and ‘beats’, and are considered most receptive. 

• Venues: Public bathrooms, Airports, Shopping Centres
• Locations: Metro and regional NSW 

The ‘Discreet Life’ campaign cut through to the MSM audience not engaged by previous HIV communications and achieved high levels of engagement among heterosexual MSMs, with indicators suggesting an intention to take an HIV test after seeing the campaign.  

Working with Wavemaker as one of two media channels, this campaign won two awards at the Media Federation of Australia Awards, 2022.