UM bags $3.7m deal for new ‘Beforeplay’ STI campaign
UM Australia has landed a $3.7 million brief for the Department of Health’s ‘Beforeplay’ sexually transmissible infections (STI) awareness campaign.
The Mediabrands agency will steer the media strategy and buying for the second phase of the department’s push to stem the rising rates of STIs among Australians under 35.
A department spokesperson told Mumbrella the campaign’s second phase is still in development, noting it will focus on testing, treatment and safe sex behaviours.
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“The Sexually Transmissible Infections (STI) Campaign aims to educate and raise awareness of STI prevention, with a focus on testing and treatment, and promote safe sex behaviours,” the spokesperson added.
“The campaign has been developed in response to the rising prevalence of some STIs over recent years, particularly among young people aged under 35 years.”
The first phase of the campaign ran nationally from 14 January to 16 March 2024, targeting Australians aged 20-34 through digital and out-of-home channels.
In a cheeky launch spot, a voiceover wonders whether a young couple’s post-date glow comes from great sex or great safety.
“These two feel pretty stoked right now. Is it because they just had great sex?” the voiceover muses. “Or is it because they used a condom? Was it the ‘chilling’ before that or because it felt like a perfect match?”
The spot then cuts to the couple in what appears to be a doctor’s waiting room.
“Maybe? Or maybe they felt safe doing the best part because they regularly do the test part. Yeah, that’s it. Make STI testing your Beforeplay.”
UM, the federal government’s master media agency since 2018, handled media buying for Beforeplay’s first phase under a $2.2m brief while Ogilvy oversaw the creative brief.
The new deal extends its long-standing partnership with the Commonwealth, reaffirmed after a competitive pitch last year.
