this is my own slogan.

KK:

There was a very succesful campaign carried out in Maharashtra called the Balbir Pasha campaign that focused on the issue of AIDS. The campaign consisted of huge cut-outs and posters stuck on billboards with some drawings (usually the silhouette of a woman) and a sidebar which carried in large font the words: Balbir Pasha ko AIDS hoga kya?

The slogans included:-

Balbir Pasha Ki Regular Sirf Manjula Hai Par Manjula Ke Kai Regular Hai. Balbir Pasha Sharab Ke Nashe Mein Condom Lagana Bhool Jata Hoga. Ek Baar Bhi Condom Na Lagaane Se AIDS Ho Sakata Hai. Pasha sirf swastha dikhnewalon se sambandha rakhta hai. Par dekhne se pata nahi chalta kise AIDS hai. Aao milkar haath badhaye Balbir Pasha ko AIDS se bachaye.

The campaign was pretty successful and in fact won numerous awards. One would have assumed that given the bold nature of the campaign the government would have taken an issue. But surprise of surprise it was the NGO’s who took issue. They found the campaign incredibly sexist as it was unfair to women and may send the wrong message that women are responsible for spreading AIDS.

I remember one particular person opposing it had said.

Pasha Ho Yaa Asha AIDS Se Na Bane Jindagi Tamasha

But the creativity award as always belonged to the Amul advertising guys. They used the same format of the poster, the same colour combination, woman’s silhouette et. all. and created the slogan:-

“Balbir Pasha roz savere kiske saath jaagta hai.” with a huge photo of Amul Butter alongside.

The government pulled out the campaign and the last I heard it was reinstated with newer posters.

DesiPundit kindly linked to a thread I wrote about AIDS in Asia on Pickled Politics. It received 13 clicks (one of DP’s coolest features).

Desibabes was linked the other day and (as the poster predicted) I counted 194 clicks when I checked.

People like sex. Just not worrying about the down sides.

And therein lies the problem (as well as lack of education, as Reincarnation says).

R&D is expensive – yes – but their sales and marketing expenses are way out of whack – and their r&d seems to be spent mostly on converting capsules to pills etc. to extend patents – the pricing model reeks of usury – they agreed to bring down the price for the aids cocktail for africa after mbeki committed to import the drugs through cipla, ranbaxy.
the industry, to a layperson like i needs a shakeup – but would be interested in an insider’s view.