The following paper reviews the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign launched by MTV. First the paper will address the purpose of the campaign. Then the paper will look at how the campaign was structured and implemented as well as the targeted audience. Lastly, the paper will address the overall effects of the campaign.
On April 2, 2009, MTV launched The GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign as part of the STD Awareness Month that year. According to MTV’s website the campaign was responding to the fact that young people account for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted diseases occurring in the U.S. each year – and most don't know they are infected – the campaign is a youthful social movement to encourage young people to get tested and …show more content…
The campaign is cross-platform campaign that still exists today which includes PSAs, promotion challenges, special programming on MTV, and an online and mobile existence. The GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign has used celebrity support to their advantage such as Flo Rida, The All-American Rejects, Asher Roth, Perez Hilton, Keri Hilson, Soulja Boy, Joanna Garcia, Chester French and Joy Bryant, and others. The campaign has implemented contests and nationwide campus challenges to target young people. For instance, one nationwide campus was a yearlong competition where the campus that builds the largest amount of GYT supporters on Facebook relative to the campus’ student body got featured on MTV news. In addition, the students on the winning campus won a trip and concert tickets to see Cobra Starship, Travis McCoy and other artists in 2010.
The GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign markets material items such as buttons, flyers, posters, stickers, and t-shirts to promote GYT’s message. Furthermore, GYT’s messages have evolved from year to year, with catchphrases like “get yourself talking, get yourself tested” and “know yourself, know your status.” The campaign strives to change traditional stigmatization related with an STDS/HIV positive status, by using the term “positive” to underline the ways to avoid contracting STIs, using phrases like “I’m positive that we talked about it before our first time” and “I’m positive I always have
On April 2, 2009, MTV launched The GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign as part of the STD Awareness Month that year. According to MTV’s website the campaign was responding to the fact that young people account for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted diseases occurring in the U.S. each year – and most don't know they are infected – the campaign is a youthful social movement to encourage young people to get tested and …show more content…
The campaign is cross-platform campaign that still exists today which includes PSAs, promotion challenges, special programming on MTV, and an online and mobile existence. The GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign has used celebrity support to their advantage such as Flo Rida, The All-American Rejects, Asher Roth, Perez Hilton, Keri Hilson, Soulja Boy, Joanna Garcia, Chester French and Joy Bryant, and others. The campaign has implemented contests and nationwide campus challenges to target young people. For instance, one nationwide campus was a yearlong competition where the campus that builds the largest amount of GYT supporters on Facebook relative to the campus’ student body got featured on MTV news. In addition, the students on the winning campus won a trip and concert tickets to see Cobra Starship, Travis McCoy and other artists in 2010.
The GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign markets material items such as buttons, flyers, posters, stickers, and t-shirts to promote GYT’s message. Furthermore, GYT’s messages have evolved from year to year, with catchphrases like “get yourself talking, get yourself tested” and “know yourself, know your status.” The campaign strives to change traditional stigmatization related with an STDS/HIV positive status, by using the term “positive” to underline the ways to avoid contracting STIs, using phrases like “I’m positive that we talked about it before our first time” and “I’m positive I always have