Testimonials

Talking cartoon condoms known as the Three Amigos are the rising prevention stars of this week's XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok.
United Press International

Memorably funny
The Toronto Star

Lend an ear to the three colourful condoms pals with a message
The Nation (Bangkok)

Sassy condoms spread HIV message
Sunday Times (South Africa)

A ground-breaking HIV/AIDS prevention strategy
Africa Film & TV

They’re hard to ignore
Maclean’s magazine (Canada)

World-class animated PSAs. This is a highly effective HIV/AIDS prevention strategy.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Comic condoms get message across
The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)

AIDS cartoon is a blast
The Star (South Africa)

Three Amigos blast off
Screen Africa

Met with near-universal enthusiasm
The Independent (United Kingdom)

Standard sex education attempts to scare you into paying attention, while the Three Amigos tickle you into understanding.
Megan Godsell
Student, South Africa

Outrageous and hilariously on the mark
Cwachile Ncalane
Student, South Africa

Sex education with a funny twist, it appeals to everybody and steers away from the didactic
Nathaniel Ramabulane
Student, South Africa

Non conservative and not for the faint hearted. We [the youth] find it more funny ‘cause we talk about sex more openly that older people.
Mmathato Lentswe
Student, South Africa

For a country faced by such a massive threat as that posed by AIDS; South Africa has had relatively few co-ordinated media campaigns against the disease.

The LoveLife media campaign tries to take a different angle towards AIDS education but frequently slips into chic obscurity, and narrowly focused messages where style completely overwhelms content.

By contrast, The 3 Amigos campaign uses humour and the universal appeal of animated characters to take its message to as broad an audience as possible. It is based on a brilliant, but simple insight. No matter how threatening the AIDS epidemic may be as a social phenomenon; prevention depends upon individual behaviour. And this means, making it
possible for people to deal with intimidating or embarrassing procedures such as condom usage in their most private moments. The way to do this is through humour. As a humorous animated series, 3 Amigos gets people to laugh about condoms while reminding them of the serious consequences of unprotected sex. By creating 3 absurd but likeable characters, the
series creates scenarios which are make viewers laugh but that remain memorable.
Prof Christo Doherty
Head of Digital Arts
Wits School of Arts
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg

Congratulations on the Three Amigos!

I anticipate that the Three Amigos will popularise condoms and lead to increased use, which is vitally important in the fight against HIV infection.

This is because the concept goes to the root of a widespread male concern with penis well-being, a concern which leads them to nick-name their penises. The Three Amigos are not mere "rubbers", or "French letters" external to the sexual experience. They have entered the realm of male penis identity to share its highs and lows.

Great concept!
Jill Kruger
Deputy Director
HIVAN (HIV & AIDS Networking)
University of Natal
Durban, South Africa

Congratulations once again on a brilliant concept that may make a huge difference to the lives of people, not just in South Africa, but across the globe!
Sandelle Scrimshaw
Ambassador of Canada to South Africa, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia and Swaziland

The Three Amigos, an intelligent, funny and entertaining tool in the fight against HIV. These three chaps should travel the world and should get known by billions of younger and older people on all the continents of this planet.
Luciano Gloor,
CEO Metropolis Fìlmproduktion,
producer,
Germany

What a blast I got from watching the pilot of Three Amigos - it not only entertains, but gets across the much needed message that having a condom in your possession is like having a true friend - there to have fun with, as well as there to protect you.

Humour is the best weapon in times of struggle - it lifts the spirit and the message stays with you.

I hope the whole world will see this much needed animated series.
Clare Downs
Senior Tutor, NFTS - National Film and Television School, UK
Development Consultant
Permanent Script Expert, EAVE - European Audio Visual Entrepreneurs
Head of Studies, AVEA – African Audio Visual Entrepreneurs

THE THREE AMIGOS animated series of shorts is truly a fantastic way of entertaining people into the idea of having safe sex rather than educating them in the classic sense, whereby many individuals just do not absorb the information.

Very funny and enjoyable and they should appeal to all age groups but communicate to the youth especially.

Great audience appeal!
Helen F Kuun
Marketing Manager: Independents
STER-KINEKOR PICTURES
South Africa

I appreciate very much the Three Amigos. They are now part of my close group of friends. They are reliable - and funny
Luís Galvão Teles
Producer and director
Portugal.

Viva! It’s a brilliant idea. I like to see three condoms running around. It appeals to my sense of how twisted things are for us
Fabian Medea
Student, South Africa

If laughter is the best medicine, then the campaign could cure the world.
Siyatandwa Linekaya
Student, South Africa

Thank you for this original and fresh approach on Aids awareness. I am a mother of two young boys who are both highly entertained and curious every time the announcements are screened.

The lighthearted and self conscious quirkiness of the three amigos is a perfect vehicle for dealing with safe sexual practice. Their humour, although at times risque is delightful and creates a wonderful opportunity for an unintimidating, open discussion on sexuality - which for many parents is not always the easiest of conversations.

We love the clever combination of 'enthusiasm for life' and caution. A true example of think before you act.

Thankfully we are seeing them often on the SABC.
P Koukoutsis
South Africa

I wish all educational material could be this good, it really gets under the skin!
Cheers to a GREAT Campaign in the struggle against the epidemic!
Cati Weinek

Currently your Three Amigos ads have a lot of popularity amongst South African youth, and we hope will contribute to increased condom use.
Laura Templeton
IEC Officer
HIV/AIDS Unit
University of Cape Town

As a mother of three children (two of them are teenage boys) I think the three amigos are an excellent way to make youngsters think about the realities of HIV AIDS. It isn't moralistic and it isn't preachy. But it makes its point without pulling any punches.

Excellent stuff! Long may the three amigos strut their stuff!!!!!
Janet van Eeden-Harrison
South Africa

Just to say I think your campaign with the 3 amigos is great. Congratulations on creating something in the language and technology of today to reach young and old. A serious subject handled with a light and funny touch. Thanks for making a difference
More people like you out there and HIV would become an endangered virus.
Andre Hattingh
South Africa

The humour of the ads almost guarantees an audience, and waiting for the tag-line keeps the attention focused. These are ads that will stay with the viewer – and hopefully pop into the mind at the appropriate moment!
Janet Hurst-Nicholson
Writer and author of children’s educational books
Durban, South Africa

Hi, i'm Patrick. can i have a poster or t shirt cos i luv em. YO TV ADS TOUCHED MY THOUGHTS.
By SMS

I received them and they are great!
Danielle C. Ompad, PhD
New York Academy of Medicine
Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies
New York

Congratulations on THREE AMIGOS. You really have done something quite exceptional.
Steve Waterman
Executive Producer, Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2

My son and I watched it for the first time the other day and enjoyed every bit of the cartoon. At the end we wanted more. For the first time I truly enjoyed and 'identified' with an AIDS message. The language used in the cartoon is hip and one that youth will find easy to identify with. The other stuff we have thus far been exposed to is so academic and immediately puts one on guard and come to think of it instills immediate fear. I think this is what we have all been waiting for - some humour as catharsis in a situation that only spells death. Well done to the creator of these characters.
Andisha Maharaj

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