AHF Condom Ads Go Bananas in NYC

“Just Use It” campaign initially rejected everywhere but Los Angeles, now on display in New York City, Chicago, and Miami

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s (AHF) “Just Use It” billboard campaign now is running in three new cities – New York City, Chicago, and Miami – after several national out-of-home advertising companies refused the artwork back in August.

The billboards featuring a condom-covered banana with the “Just Use It” slogan and the “useacondom.com” URL originally only appeared in six central Los Angeles locations.

AHF offers free condoms at almost all of its facilities nationwide, including its 69 Healthcare Centers, 36 Wellness Centers, 62 Pharmacies, and 22 Out of the Closet thrift stores and offers free sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV testing at 36 Wellness Centers across 14 states.

“It’s ridiculous we couldn’t run an ad with a condom-clad banana. It’s just a piece of fruit,” said Michael Weinstein, AHF president and cofounder. “We may be moralistic in attitude, but the rising rates of STIs in New York prove we are hedonistic in behavior. We need blunt advertising to get the point across.”

In New York, case rates of gonorrhea and syphilis rose 26.3% and 32.7% respectively between 2017 and 2021.

The advertisements appear in the following four locations:

• 1265 Jerome Ave & W 169th St in the Bronx/Fordham Heights (until 12/24/23)
• 504 W27th St btw 10th & 11th - Under the Highline in Midtown West/Chelsea (until 12/31/24)
• 575 Washington & W. Houston in SoHo/Lower Manhattan (until 12/24/23)
• Johnson Ave & Morgan Ave in East Williamsburg/Bushwick (until 12/24/23)

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 1.8 million individuals across 45 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and subscribe to our AHFter Hours podcast.