SiDa NoDa

SiDa, NoDa is a series of animated public service announcements produced by the Spanish agency Contrapunto/BBDO for the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs (nowadays the Ministry of Health) in 1988, which aims to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. The PSAs depict Mars and Venus symbols (signifying men and women) engaging in different activities that transmit or don't transmit HIV/AIDS.

Background
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently decided to commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1st, 1988. In Spain, where the first HIV cases had appeared in 1981, the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs went ahead with the creation of two iconic PSA campaigns: "SiDa NoDa" and "Póntelo, Pónselo", which explained what behaivours transmitted HIV/AIDS and promoted the use of condoms.

In the case of "SiDa, NoDa", cartoons were chosen to explain the different activities that could and couldn't transmit HIV/AIDS to lessen the impact of showing heterosexual and homosexual intercouse, as well as people sharing needles. “By using cartoons, you minimised the impact. Showing an actual junkie or a couple making love would have been too much. In this way, it was cute and quiet, but educational", said one of the producers.

Synopsis
Each PSA begins with black letters over a white background that say, "¿Sabes lo que sí da y no da Sida?" ("Do you know what does or doesn't transmit AIDS?") and shows men and women (represented by animated symbols for Mars and Venus) engaging in risky or safe situations.

Risky situations include: sharing needles, razors or toothbrushes, having heterosexual or homosexual sex without a condom, getting a tattoo with unsterilized needles, and mother-to-child trasmission (these last two only appear on the magazine ad). Safe situations include: sharing a drink, using the same restrooms, playing at a pool, exchanging clothes, kissing/hugging/holding hands, playing with other children, and mosquito bites. The HIV patients have red letters that say AIDS on them. When there is a risky situation going on, the voice-over says "Sí da. Sí, si da." ("Yes, it does. It does give you [AIDS]), which is a play on words: in Spanish, "sí da" sounds like "SIDA" (AIDS). When the homosexual/heterosexual couples having intercourse overhear the voice-over saying "Sí da", they stop and one of them proceeds to put on a condom, so they can continue. The risky situations make the people without HIV turn green, grimace and shake or panic, while the person with AIDS looks sad or embarrassed. When people are engaging in a safe situation, the voice-over says, "No da. No, no da." ("No it doesn't, it doesnt't give you [AIDS]"). At the end of each cartoon, which always shows a safe situation, the people walk away happily as the slogan reads, "Don't change your life because of AIDS."

In a lesser-known PSA, which only shows ways in which you can't get HIV, we see a man taking his child to kindergarten but starts running away from a child with AIDS, then refusing to touch a co-worker with AIDS, and panicking when he sees a neighbour with AIDS. He runs back to his apartment, boards his door up, and builds a brickwall. Then the voice-over says, "Si sabes bien cómo se contagia el Sida, no debes tener miedo." ("If you know how AIDS is transmitted, you mustn't be afraid." ). The man then kicks down the wall he has just built, happily greets a person with AIDS and walks away, as the voice-over says, "No te aísles. No cambies tu vida por el Sida." ("Don't isolate yourself. Don't change your life because of AIDS"),

Reception
Spain had recently returned to a democratic government after a decades-long military dictatorship, so these first campaigns caused controversy among the population, especially more traditionally Catholic groups. However, despite the backlash, the "SiDa NoDa" PSAs became a huge success and were eventually shown in Spanish-speaking Latin American countries as well.

Thirty years later, an exhibition commemorating the most successful HIV/AIDS campaigns called "From SiDa, NoDa to #AlwaysACondom: 30 Years Facing HIV/AIDS" took place at the National Museum of Decorative Art.