This youth-oriented social marketing campaign used a cartoon logo of a yellow hand giving a "V" or a "peace" sign as its brand and the phrase "Nimechill" (Swahili-English slang meaning "I have chilled" or "I am abstaining"). The strategy here involved creating stigma regarding irresponsible, early sex among youth - making abstinence a "cool”, responsible choice.

In an effort to reach as many young people as possible, the programme drew on a variety of media channels, which included: television, radio, print media, billboards, t-shirts, and posters. For example, articles on youth and "chilling" regularly appeared in the national newspapers, and weekly discussions about "chilling" took place both formally and informally on the radio. One strategy involved using teenagers aged 14-16 in the TV commercials with the goal to create inspirational and realistic role models. The campaign also used mini-buses decorated with pictures of international music and sports stars.

PSI/Kenya also sponsored "The Beat", a daily music video programme on Nation TV. T-shirts showing the Nimechill brand and the message "young, beautiful, and chilling" or "handsome, intelligent, and chilling", were given away at Nimechill sponsored youth events. The advertisements featured older youth (aged 14-16) who were portrayed as defying early sex norms. For example, one advertisement showed several youth leaning out of a mini-bus with text stating: "Sex? No way, tumechill [we’re chilling]"; and "We won’t be taken for a ride. Ni poa kuchill [It’s cool to chill]."

The campaign's persuasion strategy was based on positive affect and positive deviance. According to PSI, both strategies are known to be effective, but positive messaging explicitly avoids creating denial or fear, a possible unintended consequence of risk messaging. Positive deviance strategies identify individuals in a community whose behaviours reduce risk.

According to the organisers, during the campaign, there was abundant anecdotal evidence of Nimechill’s popularity. Politicians and community leaders were photographed with youth raising the “V” sign. Minibuses appeared with their own Chill logos. Entrepreneurs manufactured their own Chill bumper stickers and sold them in bars and petrol stations around Nairobi. Newspapers and radio stations ran pieces on “chilling” regularly without official support from the campaign.

Youth, HIV/AIDS

A study on this campaign revealed that PSI/Kenya’s Nimechill campaign was seen by 85% of the urban population and, according to the evaluation, the proportion of youth reporting “never having sex” increased from 88% to 92% during the seven months of the campaign. Although it is impossible to attribute the increase to Nimechill, the study does show that those exposed to the campaign’s messages were more likely to believe in their own ability to abstain than those who did not. The study also found that 45% of those surveyed were exposed to the campaign through three or more channels (television, radio, etc). The evaluation’s findings are especially interesting coming soon after a UNAIDS report in December 2005 that reported HIV prevalence in Kenya declining from 13.6% in the 1990s to 6% in 2003.

At baseline, social norms, self-efficacy and intentions to abstain were correlated with abstinence among urban 10-14 year olds. After the campaign, approximately 85% of urban youth recalled Nimechill. According to the study, the proportion of youth reporting “never having sex” increased from 88 to 92% over seven months; this effect was secular however and not a result of exposure to Nimechill. Self-efficacy and intentions significantly increased over the seven months; this effect was a direct result of exposure to Nimechill, but limited to those who reported high exposure to Nimechill.

PSI is a global health organisation which was started in 1990, with programmes targeting malaria, child survival, HIV and reproductive health. It works in partnership with the public and private sectors. The organisation seeks to provide life-saving products, clinical services, and behaviour change communications that empower the world's most vulnerable populations to lead healthier lives. In addition, it promotes voluntary HIV counselling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and consistent and correct condom use among high-risk groups.