THE COMMENDED PROGRAM
MTV International's global HIV/AIDS campaign Staying Alive raises awareness and educates young people through television programming, documentaries, public service announcements, youth forums, concerts and interactive web content.

The campaign effectively targets MTV's demographic (15 to 25-year-olds) by matching the network's core competencies in audience research, creative development, production and marketing with the knowledge of expert partners like UNAIDS and UNICEF. Staying Alive targets high-risk groups wherever possible, such as young women in Africa and young MSM in Latin America.

In 2008 Staying Alive reached more than 627 million TV households worldwide, and touched viewers in 49 of the top 50 countries worst affected by HIV/AIDS. Rigorous monitoring through partnerships with Family Health International and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, enables MTV to evaluate what messages are actually changing youth behavior.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

Expanding Reach through Partner Networks
MTV not only uses its own vast reach to deliver HIV messages, but leverages the reach of other broadcasters and partner organizations through rights-free partnerships. In working with 111 third party broadcasters, Staying Alive reached nearly 200 million more viewers in 2008 than it would have using MTV channels only.

Leveraging Star Power to Reach Youth
MTV leverages the star power of some of its biggest names-celebrities who are role models for global youth. Staying Alive outreach has featured Beyoncé Knowles, P. Diddy, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and Enrique Iglesias. In 2008 Kelly Rowland became the first Staying Alive ambassador, visiting Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa to raise awareness about HIV prevention. This year Rowland is working with Travis McCoy, lead singer of the Gym Class Heroes, to help talk about the issue of ‘boys and men' within HIV prevention.