PHILIPPINES, FEBRUARY 2011 – Following a bidding process, Dual Action Blender won a project to produce educational videos on adolescent reproductive health for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
The first video, “Baby Talk”, tackles the issue of unplanned pregnancy, while the second, “Positive Talk”, is about HIV/AIDS – two issues alarmingly on the rise among young people in the Philippines today. The intent of the educational videos is two-fold: to educate the 15-24 demographic on both topics and to induce behavior changes.
For “Baby Talk”, a different approach was introduced. Instead of the usual “lecture” type dialogues between adults and the young people involved, the material tells the story from the point of view of two babies who exchange stories about their young parents and their situation. “This is a way of presenting the facts in a less contrived manner. Using the cute baby/sad story contrast as tug of heart to draw viewers in and make an impression,” says Ricky Santillan, Dual Action Blender’s creative head.
On the other hand, “Positive Talk” used a more direct approach by putting HIV positives directly in front of the camera and asking them to recount their story and the reality of living with the disease. The profiles are willingly diverse from a housewife to a young call center agent to a former sex worker. The intent is to show that anyone – even someone who has only one sexual partner their entire life – can get infected with HIV unless they do something to protect themselves.
