The Care Salon
Innovation & Transformation / Innovation in Health & Wellness
We needed a way to convince women in Ontario’s Black communities to go get tested for HIV.
Due to many systemic barriers, they’re one of most vulnerable and overrepresented groups among people who test HIV-positive. Stigma, misinformation and silence surrounding HIV makes it almost impossible to overcome their perceptions about getting tested— let alone motivate them to do it.
So we met our target halfway. We combined the easy, fast and potentially life-saving procedure of getting an HIV test with the comfortable and familiar environment of a hair salon they visited often. The perfect blend of healthcare and self-care, we dubbed it: The Care Salon.
On a hair thin budget, we partnered with Black-owned salons around the province to allow certified HIV testers to visit, temporarily transforming them into testing sites. Black women could get their hair done, catch up with girlfriends and get a safe, quick and easy HIV test while they waited, turning a daunting, clinical experience into just another part of the self-care routine.
Client - African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario
Creative Director/Art Director - Jon Lane
Copywriter - Julian Battersby-Morris