New Zealand's Bold Herpes Campaign Scoops Grand Prize at Cannes Lions

The quirky campaign, featuring Sir Graham Henry, humorously declares New Zealand the "best place to have herpes," and has won the Grand Prix for Good at the Cannes Lions awards, effectively addressing stigma surrounding the virus.

New Zealand has taken an unconventional approach to tackle stigma surrounding herpes with a bold campaign by the New Zealand Herpes Foundation, which has recently won the Grand Prix for Good at the prestigious Cannes Lions awards. Launched last October, the campaign aimed to reposition the narrative around herpes, suggesting that New Zealand could become the "best place" to have the infection.

The campaign featured a faux tourism advertisement starring Sir Graham Henry, the former head coach of the national rugby union team. In the humorous video, Henry lamented the country's dwindling sources of national pride, highlighting issues like its "embarrassingly low" sheep-to-human ratio, and concluded with a call to action to embrace herpes as a point of national pride. “It’s time for New Zealand to become the best place in the world to have herpes,” he declared, scrawling the word "HERPES" boldly on a chalkboard.

The ad also featured a mock "herpes destigmatisation course," showcasing notable figures like former health ministry chief Sir Ashley Bloomfield and professional boxer Mea Motu, all contributing to the humorous tone of the campaign. According to David Ohana, communications head at the United Nations Foundation and a jury president at this year's Cannes Lions, the ad took a taboo topic and transformed it with a combination of strategic messaging and humor.

Statistics provided by the New Zealand Herpes Foundation reveal that approximately one in three sexually active adults in the country carries the virus, which often goes unrecognized due to mild or absent symptoms. The foundation emphasized that misinformation and societal reluctance to discuss sexual health contribute to the stigma surrounding the virus. Alaina Luxmoore from the foundation revealed that since its launch, the campaign has reached millions, resonating strongly due to its humor and unabashed messaging. "The campaign was so funny, I think that's why it worked," she noted in a recent interview.