According to the producers, the Scrutinize series makes use of township characters, slang, and symbology that the youth in South Africa can easily relate to. Created by communications company, Matchboxology, each of the animated commercials is about 40-60 seconds long and is based on the everyday realities that place young South Africans at risk of HIV infection. The lead character is a taxi driver named Victor who is on a mission “to flip HIV to H-I-Victory”. His character was created in collaboration with a well known South African comedian, Joey Rasdien. He is joined by a cast of 4 other local actors and comedians. The characters include a shebeen queen (a female owner of a small drinking establishment, usually in her home), a sugar daddy (an older man who dates young girls), a young girl, a businessman, and a teenage boy.

Personifying HIV as a ninja character is part of the series’ HIV communication strategy. According to the producers, research indicates that HIV messages become far easier to relate to when presented in this way. The ninja pops up in many different situations: alongside sugar daddies and mommas, hanging around when there is drunken sex in shebeens, and never far away from the stigma and prejudice that help it grow stronger. Qualitative research was conducted by JHHESA to ensure that each animert communicates the correct message clearly and with impact.

Click here to view the animerts and to find out more about the characters.

The first 8 animerts will be broadcast on local television in South Africa for a period of a year. The aim will be to reach target audiences during peak hours and at times when youth programmes are broadcast. The campaign will also be taken to local communities, where the commercials will be used as discussion starters for a series of planned youth conversations around HIV/AIDS. The series of animerts will also appear in public health clinics via Mindset Health television, an initiative which delivers content through satellite broadcast and datacast into hospitals and clinics.


The campaign is also running Scrutinize Campus Campaigns which are taking place at 5 higher education institutions during the months of August and September 2008. The campaign aims to support the Scutinize campaign and will seek to promote the prevention objectives in promoting abstinence and faithfulness and other prevention measures. For more information see the Scrutinize Campus Campaigns blogspot.

Levi’s will also feature the characters on T-shirts as part of their Red for Life range in shops nationwide.

HIV/AIDS, Youth

According to the organisers, the campaign focuses on youth in South Africa’s black urban townships as their research has shown that this is where the spread of HIV/AIDS is most rife. Part of the contributing factor to the spread of the virus is the prevalence of multiple and concurrent partners. This means that while a person may have a steady partner in a long-term relationship, they also have multiple partners on the outside. These partnerships usually overlap, forming a type of sexual network. While condom use amongst non-regular partners is high, it tends to become inconsistent and eventually decreases over time with the regular partner. This then puts the partners at a higher risk of contracting the virus. If one of the partners within the network gets infected with HIV, the virus spreads rapidly to others, as HIV is most infectious during the first 3 to 6 weeks after infection.

According to the First National South African HIV/AIDS Communication Survey conducted in 2006, 13% of young men and 4% of young women between the ages of 15-24, reported that they had concurrent partners. This survey also found that youth falling into this age group have a greater chance of being involved with multiple and concurrent partners.

Multiple and concurrent partnerships may also involve the exchange of material goods and status between a man or a woman better off economically, and a younger partner who is not. The younger partner is expected to give sexual favours in return to the “sugar daddy" or "sugar mommy". For example, a girl may have three boyfriends, each of them catering to different aspects of her life. “Minister of transport” refers to the partner who provides her with transport to get around. It could be a guy with a car that fetches and drops her off at her destination of choice, or a taxi driver who lets her ride for free. "Minister of finance" refers to the man who offers her financial assistance. He may pay for her clothing accounts, her hair, and in other instances, even her accommodation. "Minister of gigs" often refers to the man that provides entertainment. He takes her out to the nightclubs, to dinners and basically pays for their social life. The girl would usually sleep with all three men concurrently, increasing the spread of the virus.