No gimmicks here.

The Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life, which hosts multiple walks across Canada, has launched a new campaign that promotes the simplicity of its cause while poking fun at the crazy stunts some charities pull to raise money and awareness.

With creative by TBWA\Toronto and media by OMD, the campaign is targeted at adults aged 18 to 35 and relies on a PSA that will run in cinemas as well as on TV, thanks to donated space from Bell, Rogers and Shaw. The organization is also working with OMD and TBWA to secure ad inventory for OOH and print ads, as well as wild postings, and will look to roll out radio spots later in August.

The TV and cinema creative feature a series of people who have done something gimmicky to raise money and awareness for AIDS, from mundane things like tanning for AIDS, to more absurd and extreme activities like growing a tail or skydiving.

J.J. Dayot, corporate sponsorship and donations manager, Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life, tells MiC that although this is a fairly typical media mix for the organization, it is working with its media and creative partners to develop a new media strategy, which includes the possibility of leveraging digital advertising for the first time.

He says the humorous message in the campaign’s PSA is also a first for the organization, adding that the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life chose this approach because the serious messages it has relied on in past campaigns haven’t resulted in a noticeable increase in donations.

Allen Oke, ECD, TBWA\Toronto, adds that millennials were chosen as the primary target for the campaign because there’s been a drop off in terms of AIDS awareness among the demographic.

The Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life runs from Sept. 14 to 22 and the campaign will run until the end of the walk.

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