loveLife’s formula for reaching SA youth

Ten years into its existence and loveLife, South Africa’s national HIV prevention campaign for young people, is proud to announce another innovative campaign in the fight against HIV/Aids. Marketed as the formula to success, this latest youth initiative known as L²M³ cubed aims to change social thinking by confronting issues of identity and self-worth.

The formula L²M³ (L² = loving life, M³= making my move) says Media Director, Trina DasGupta, “builds on our previous Make YOUR Move campaign that calls on young people to take control of their lives, believe in themselves and make moves to improve their current situation.” Leading with the tagline, “What’s your formula?” this new campaign, takes a step back by challenging young people to ask themselves those uncomfortable questions about what defines them and who they really are. “The formula will address the universal teen feeling of invisibility and the desire for acceptance, as well as provide an alternative to materialism, which is often used today to achieve acknowledgement,” says Trina DasGupta.

L²M³’s main aim is to get young people to think about their future and how to make moves to achieve their goals. So, what sets this campaign apart from the last? Make YOUR Move really talked to the Love Life Generation, telling them to make their move; whilst L2M3 urges youth to proudly shout out that they are making their move and to encourage the rest of the country to join the movement and follow suit. Young people can only make their moves if they believe they can and if they have a better understanding of who they are, hence identity and self-worth being the focal point of the 2009 media campaign.

There is indication from available research that HIV prevalence among young people is on the decline and that more sexually active young people report consistent condom use, however these declines are not enough. Despite high levels of awareness and knowledge about HIV and how to protect themselves from becoming infected, young people, especially those in marginalised communities, tend to tolerate risk more due to their perception of a lack of immediate opportunity. Through this campaign, loveLife is decidedly focusing on young people themselves - on the way they perceive their circumstances and how they deal with societal pressures that provide a disincentive for risk aversion. Without a sense of future, identity and self-worth youngsters may have little motivation to protect themselves from infection.” says Grace Matlhape, the CEO of loveLife. Thus it is clear that awareness alone will not produce the desired behaviour change to reduce the spread of the HIV epidemic and that comprehensive strategies combining media with community based face-to-face interaction is imperative. For the past ten years, loveLife has focused on this very behaviour change model by taking a holistic approach to HIV prevention.

The 2009 loveLife media campaign will be rolled out in multiple phases on various media platforms, including brand new TV and radio PSAs, a fresh take on loveLife’s free youth magazine called UNCUT, newly packaged radio shows on 22 radio stations nationwide, a new-look website, as well as on loveLife’s mobile social network www.mymsta.mobi. We want L²M³ to spark the Love Life Generation to think and to take the first step towards a healthy and positive future,” says Grace Matlhape. “The yearlong campaign will focus on strengthening a sense of identity, purpose and belonging among young people, which we know to be the key triggers to behaviour change.”

Simultaneously, loveLife’s recently developed Make YOUR Move outreach programme will reverberate the essence of L²M³ on the ground. The outreach programme consists of various programmes facilitated by loveLife’s peer-motivators, known as groundBREAKERS, the gogoGetter programme, loveLife Games and our national multipurpose centres of opportunity for young people called l Y-Centres.

The L²M³ campaign promises to be one of loveLife’s most talked about campaigns ever - questioning and engaging the youth, inspiring and igniting their minds. 

ISSUED BY: loveLife National Office Fareed MohammedTELEPHONE: 011 523 1000 FAX 011 523 1001DATE: 10 June 2009ON BEHALF OF: loveLife CEO, Grace Matlhpe

About loveLifeloveLife promotes healthy, HIV-free living among South African teenagers. Organised under the auspices of the loveLife Trust, loveLife combines a sustained high-powered multi-media campaign with nationwide community-level outreach and support programmes for youth. loveLife’s programmes are implemented by a national youth volunteer service corps known as groundBREAKERS in partnership with more than 150 community-based non-government organisations, 5100 schools and 500 government clinics across South Africa. Major funding for loveLife is provided by the South African Government and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by Barloworld, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, BMW, Cellsmart Technologies, ChangeWright Consulting, DED (German Development Service), Dewey & Le Boeuf, IBM, Independent Newspapers, Jumpstart, Mondi, Murray & Roberts, Rapport, the South African Broadcasting Corporation, South African Institute for Entrepreneurship, Southern Sun, Ster-Kinekor and the Vodacom Foundation.

For information visit www.lovelife.org.za or call 0800 121 900.