GI Jonny uses Online Chatter to Inform & Protect

Late in 2007, BBC Learning created G.I. Jonny, an HIV-fighting action hero, in response to it's own research which highlighted a worrying trend - high levels of ignorance and complacency about HIV among 16- 24 year olds.  This was particularly worrying given the  Health Protection Agency's report that the number of new diagnoses had continued to increase in the past 10 years.

 "It's public service broadcasting, Lord Reith, but not as you knew it."

MediaGuardian.co.uk Tues 9 October 2007 

The last significant national Campaign focusing on HIV in the UK was 20 years ago, so the BBC felt that the time was right for a viral information campaign to raise awareness of  HIV.

The primary objectives of the campaign were:

• To present the correct facts about HIV in the UK, and highlight t he risks of catching HIV
• To make these facts engaging and relevant to our target audience

"The response from the Blog campaign was phenomenal.  For immediate future to get into the Blogosphere and create the action that they did was fantastic for t his campaign."

Elizabeth McKay, Development Executive - BBC Learning

immediate future was asked to deliver the Online component of the campaign and the agency devised a strategy which made best use of the assets available (including the campaign website) and its own extensive online knowledge.  Digestible chunks of HIV-related and campaign information were to be relayed to the target audience, via core online Influencers, who in turn would share all Content and information across the blogosphere.

By encouraging bloggers from the sexual health, gay and straight online communities to Post Links to the G.I. Jonny site, users were directed to the homepage, where they could customise their own G.I. Jonny virtual action figure, and then upload it to their Facebook page. The site also contained the basic facts about HIV, communicated to users whilst they built their G.I. 

Utilising Viral Content

The Viral Factory prepared the launch video, while additional short films were made by BBC comedy. Three of the total seven films were then seeded by immediate future who distributed sneak previews across Online communities, blogs, websites and social network Groups, driving further Traffic to view the video on the main campaign site.

immediate future spotted an opportunity to create a high level of Buzz due to the controversial nature of the viral videos, which featured G.I. Jonny using his ‘incredible fisting action' to save the hapless Mimsy from Captain Bareback and his Commando Bandits.

The videos were posted on public access video sites such as YouTube, MySpace and iFilm, taking the video to the online audience, with links back to the content from collaborative sites such as linkdump.com where possible.

To support the other online activity, a release ‘G.I. Jonny Declares War on Ignorance' was SEO'd (search engine optimized) and received over 100,000 headline impressions. The story was pitched to wide range of mainstream and Niche online media, including national newspaper websites, men's and women's interest sites, entertainment, health and student sites.

As a result, not only did the story appear on the front page of MediaGuardian.co.uk and its Media Monkey feature, but also went Offline with spectacular results for the campaign.

metro_coverage.jpg

How online influences offline

 
Published on the day of the video’s launch, the Metro ran an article based on immediate future’s content and information, which had been supplied to the Metro online.

The article balanced arguments by parent and media groups who branded the video ‘disgusting’ and ‘degrading’, with a defence of the campaign and its aims by the BBC and the Terence Higgins Trust (immediate future had been alerted to the story going offline and relayed this to the relevant PR teams from both organisations who were then able to provide Comment).

Crucially, the article was accompanied by screenshots from the video along with the site’s URL.

The Sun’s and the Times’ websites were targeted to continue building online momentum behind the story, which spread rapidly across around the web, with coverage appearing on news sites and blogs around the world. In just 24 hours, the G.I. Jonny site received 1,640,537 visits, rising to 2,877,675 two days later - 94% within the UK.

Positive Response 

"Who knew a safe sex video could be so fun? with it's rapid-fire double entendres and stop-action hero style it appears to hit it's age-band target spot on."  Blog post - October 2007

 A week after the video was launched, Google Blogs returned 1,989 results for "G.I. Jonny", with 46,800 results returned in a generic Google search.

In addition, analysis of blog and Forum posts showed that 79% of comments posted regarding the video were positive and in favour of the campaign.

Elizabeth McKay, Development Executive BBC Learning, was delighted: "Given the positive response from the intended audience as seen in all the comments, we can only say 'bring it on."