Terrence Higgins Trust: Impactful Broadcast PR for HIV Testing Week

Challenge: Cutting Through Stigma to Reach the People Who Need Testing Most

An estimated 4,700 people are currently living with HIV in the UK without being aware they have the condition. With home testing awareness at just 19%, we worked with the Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity that aims to:

• End the transmission of HIV in the UK
• Support and empower people living with HIV
• Eradicate stigma and discrimination around HIV
• Promote good sexual health

… To help them raise awareness of self-testing and reduce the stigma of the illness, with the ultimate aim of supporting their goal of protecting people’s personal health (HIV when identified early, is a non-fatal, manageable condition) and reaching zero transmission by 2030.

This work formed part of National HIV Testing Week (NHTW), which provides targeted HIV health promotion to those most affected by HIV (Gay, Bisexual and Men who have sex with Men, and Black African communities). It promotes preventative behaviours and HIV testing to cut new HIV transmissions in England.

The campaign seeks to achieve these aims by building awareness of the ease and availability of HIV testing; reducing the barriers to testing and increasing awareness of the significant role that condoms, PrEP, treatment and testing all play in reducing the onward transmission of HIV.

 

Insight: Shifting Behaviour Need a Shift in Perception

Encouraging someone to take an HIV test starts with addressing the fear and shame that often surrounds the act of testing itself. No amount of messaging about ease and availability matters if people still feel testing is something to hide. The campaign’s insight was that stigma doesn’t shift through information alone, it shifts when audiences have built trust and can feel safer taking action.

That’s why the campaign was built around two highly visible moments: the Prime Minister taking a test on camera, and Beverley Knight speaking openly about losing a close friend to HIV. One demonstrated that testing is normal enough for the country’s most public figure to do it without hesitation; the other gave the statistics a human face and an emotional entry point. Together, they reframed testing from a private, potentially stigmatised act into something visible, current and shared.

 

Solution: Securing Unprecedented Access and Maximising Every Platform

To deliver maximum impact, Terrence Higgins Trust enlisted the support of the Prime Minister, encouraging him to take an HIV test publicly, an unprecedented move that would serve as a powerful symbol of leadership and reduce stigma around testing.

We worked closely with Number 10 to coordinate pooled footage, captured by GB News, and secured an exclusive interview between the Prime Minister and LBC, amplifying the visibility of the campaign at the highest levels of media and government.

To add a deeply personal dimension to the story, Beverley Knight, a long-time supporter and newly announced patron of Terrence Higgins Trust, was brought in to share her emotional experience of losing a close friend to HIV. With only two broadcast interview slots available, Broadcast Revolution strategically prioritised high-reach platforms, securing Beverley’s appearance on Good Morning Britain on the morning of HIV Testing Week. The segment combined the pooled Prime Minister footage with Beverley’s heartfelt story, creating a compelling and humanised narrative.

With access to charity spokespeople and powerful case studies, we extended the campaign’s reach further, placing tailored content across major outlets including 5 News, ITV News, and LBC. By leveraging every available voice and asset, the campaign succeeded in spreading the message of HIV Testing Week with scale, empathy, and precision.

 

Impact: A Measurable Surge in Testing, Backed by National Reach

The campaign broke new ground by featuring the Prime Minister taking an HIV test for the first time, an unprecedented move that drew massive national attention. By engaging high-profile figures like the Prime Minister and Beverley Knight, the campaign creatively cut through media noise and humanised the message. The resukt?

Terrence Higgins Trust saw 3096 orders that day for self-test kits, compared to 1522 in 2024 – a 99% increase. They also saw an increase in self-sample kits – from 1062 to 1323 (a 25% increase). The interviews landed across 58 stations with a reach of 33,486,000.