When it comes to herpes, no one can really be described as a “winner” — that is, until now.
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has awarded its Grand Prix for Good prize to a New Zealand ad campaign that dubbed the country “the best place in the world to have herpes.”
According to the BBC, the campaign hoped to destigmatize herpes through the work of the New Zealand Herpes Foundation.
“We need something new to be proud of; something big and brave to put us back on the map,” says Sir Graham Henry, a famous New Zealand rugby coach, in the ad. “It’s time for New Zealand to become the best place in the world to have herpes.”
“The title of the campaign ‘Make New Zealand the Best Place to have Herpes’ by The New Zealand Herpes Foundation says it all,” says Cannes Lions jury president Judy John. “Often overlooked, this campaign played into their national pride, to unite the county in eliminating the herpes stigma as a way to restore our self-esteem, reclaim international glory, and boost patriotism.”