Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and others sign with Joe Public's Brothers for Life campaign

Creative Director at Joe Public, Xolisa Dyeshana says that each of these men, and many others, are committed to encouraging South African men to know their HIV status, be sexually responsible and to respect their partners and families no matter what their circumstances are.

"As the world's eyes turn to South Africa, we knew the time would be right to launch the Brothers for Life 'Game of Life' campaign," he says. During the month of June many of the featured stars will be watched closely, not only to gauge their world cup skills, but the fans of these men will also get to see the causes they represent. "All our ambassadors are very passionate about the campaign and openly support Brothers for Life," Dyeshana says. "These sports personalities not only increase the credibility and image of the campaign, but also increase the resonance of the HIV/AIDS messages that they are communicating."

The look and feel of this latest execution follows previous Brothers for Life ads in order to continue building brand resonance and awareness of the organisation, down to the very colours featured in the ads - black, white and red. The creative executions will be delivered across several media platforms including television, leaflets, posters, radio and outdoor from now until the end of the year.

Targeted mainly at men aged 30 to 50, the campaign's television ads will be flighted in prime world cup TV spots and at several fan parks during the World Cup. Printed posters will be sent out to the general press and used in clinics and a billboard campaign consisting of 170 billboards will be seen all over South Africa. The Sports Ambassadors will also feature on the Brothers for Life website, Brothers for Life Facebook page, the Kick Off football website and the Ruggavibe rugby website to reinforce key messages.

The campaign is a collaborative effort led by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), the Department of Health, USAID/PEPFAR, Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA), Sonke Gender Justice, the United Nations System in South Africa and more than 40 other civil society partners working in the field of HIV prevention and health.

For further information, please visit www.brothersforlife.org.

About Brothers for Life:

Brothers for Life is a national men's campaign that aims to create a movement of men that will ignite and spread throughout South Africa. The campaign draws upon the spirit of Brotherhood that exists among South African men and encourages men to positively influence each other as men, partners, parents and as leaders.

About Joe Public:

Joe Public is an independently owned, Johannesburg-based advertising and design agency with a deep-rooted love for South Africa. We are an agency for people, by people and it is this philosophy that inspires us to win the hearts and minds of the South African public in everything we do. For more information about Joe Public go to our website at www.joepublic.co.za.