Cashcow.in

Standard Chartered pulls its weight behind an Anti HIV campaign

Standard Chartered Bank has launched “Anti-HIVirus software”, a campaign to address protection methods against HIV/AIDS and dispel myths about the disease in a series of six short animated videos. The campaign currently occupies more than 70% o screen space on the landing page of www.standardchartered.com giving it plenty of eyeball. Surprisingly the Indian website does not seem to be participating in the campaign.

Launched last month, Anti-HIVirus incorporates hard facts about HIV and AIDS – told via an animated character Mr HIV, who plans to attack and destroy the human race – in six fast-moving video segments.

The campaign web site www.vir.us is part of Standard Chartered Bank’s commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative to educate one million people on HIV and AIDS by 2010.

The campaign is aimed at providing information to the 15-24 year old population, who account for 45% of new HIV infections globally.
The social media campaign includes viral videos to build noise and awareness with supported paid-media, to encourage individuals and corporate partners to participate in the initiative. The campaign concept is based on the insight that the best defence is knowledge. The user has to complete the eLearning modules on the website and then take the quiz at the end.
The bank, which has operations in over 70 countries, in 1999 launched “Living with HIV” a workplace education programme in response to HIV-related employee absenteeism in one of the Standard Chartered’s African markets.

Since 2003, all its employees (currently over 70,000 globally) are required to complete an online e-Learning module available in 10 languages and face-to-face workshops conducted by a co-worker. Known as an “HIV Champions,” over 1000 employees volunteer their time to educate their peers in the Bank and with external organisations about HIV-including components on reducing stigma and encouraging people to get tested for HIV.