HIV ad to air during Super Bowl (11166)

The first HIV public service announcement ever to air during televised coverage of the Super Bowl, typically the most expensive TV advertising time of the year and the venue where major companies launch their most innovative ads, will be shown on Sunday, February 1, on CBS. The ad is cosponsored by Viacom and the Kaiser Family Foundation and created as part of Viacom's ongoing "Know HIV/AIDS" public service campaign. CBS, which is owned by Viacom, will air the ad during pregame coverage of the pro football championship. The 20-second ad shows a dumpster in an urban alley with a voice-over that says, "Twenty million young lives thrown away. That's how many could contract HIV worldwide in the next few years. But it doesn't have to be like that." The dumpster in the ad then opens, and young people begin climbing out by the dozens. "HIV is preventable," the voice-over continues. "Go to www.knowhivaids.org." Pregame coverage of the Super Bowl begins at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time/11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on CBS. The Super Bowl begins at 6 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Pacific.

The Seattle Times reports that singer and AIDS activist Bono was turned down to bring his AIDS message to Super Bowl viewers. Bono had asked the National Football League to perform with Jennifer Lopez his AIDS anthem An American Prayer during half-time festivities at the sporting event but was turned down by NFL executives. CBS also refused to air two commercials, one by the liberal group MoveOn.org that was critical of the annual budget deficits under the Bush administration and another by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. CBS cited a long-standing policy against advocacy advertising in rejecting the two ads.