Legendary Aussie entertainer Marcia Hines and over a hundred other people have donated their time, resources and expertise to create a national awareness campaign for this year’s Red Ribbon Appeal.

The Red Ribbon Appeal raises money to fight HIV/AIDS and to help people living with the virus. It takes place every year in the lead up to and on World AIDS Day on December 1.

This year, and for the first time ever, the AIDS Trust of Australia and each state-based AIDS Council have joined forces to produce a nationally coordinated fundraising campaign.

Marcia Hines is the spokesperson for the campaign and she appears in a 30 second TV commercial financed by Foxtel, created by Sydney-based ad agency The Works and produced by Foxtel subsidiary Area 51 and Sydney-based post-production company Engine.

“The concept focuses on people in every day situations who have loved ones affected by HIV/AIDS,” says ACON (AIDS Council of NSW) President Mark Orr. “Their love is symbolised as a glowing red heart which is eventually revealed as a red ribbon. Basically we’re asking people to have a heart and show they care by wearing a red ribbon or making a donation on World AIDS Day.”

Ms Hines says she hopes the campaign will help people understand that with 20 Australians being diagnosed with the virus every week, HIV is still a major health issue.

“I’ve lost friends to HIV/AIDS and I have friends who are living with the virus so it’s an issue that affects me personally,” she says. “Right now there are almost 17,000 Australians living with HIV. When you take into account their partners, family, friends and carers, there are hundreds of thousands of people just here in Australia whose lives have been affected. And while there’s been some important medical advances in recent years, many people with HIV are doing it tough. The Red Ribbon Appeal is an opportunity for us to help these people as well as support programs that prevent the spread of HIV in our community.”

The ad will play as a community service announcement on selected Foxtel channels and on free-to-air TV across the country during November. In addition, the NSW World AIDS Day Committee has arranged for the ad to be played in cinemas across NSW. The print component of the campaign, which was also produced by The Works as well as leading photographer Adrian Cook, will be placed free of charge or at heavily discounted rates in mainstream and community media all over the country.

“It’s an amazing outcome to get a professionally produced national campaign at almost no cost,” says AIDS Trust CEO Nick Toonen, “and we’re incredibly grateful to Foxtel, The Works, Marcia and everyone else who has contributed to the campaign. We’re now hoping lots of other people will show their support and get behind the Red Ribbon Appeal on December 1.”

You can view the commercial at Aids Trust website.

To volunteer to sell ribbons on the street on World AIDS Day or to get a Red Ribbon merchandise box for your workplace or business, please visit: www.redribbonday.org.au.