In November 2017, June’s HIV+ Eatery opened for three nights to break the stigma surrounding people living with HIV in Toronto. Operating under the slogan “Break Bread, Smash Stigma”, all of the food served at June’s was prepared by HIV positive individuals-turned chefs. All of the seats at the pop-up restaurant sold out within two weeks. The event garnered widespread worldwide media attention.
The Campaign: “Break Bread, Smash Stigma”
June’s was conceived and implemented pro-bono by creative agency Bensimon Byrne. They worked on behalf of Casey House, an independent hospital devoted entirely to caring for people with HIV/AIDS. The “Break Bread, Smash Stigma” campaign came about in response to a survey that revealed half of all Canadians would not eat a meal prepared by someone with HIV. Casey House sought to inform the public that HIV cannot be transmitted through food. To fight this misconception, they opened a three-night-only pop-up restaurant that served food exclusively made by HIV positive people.
The goal of the project was twofold: get people talking about HIV, and dispel myths about the transmission of HIV. Casey House worked with an advertising and public relations firm to create a compelling campaign and promote the event as much as possible. Part of the success of the “Break Bread, Smash Stigma” campaign was their smart content-marketing and engaging brand storytelling. They used pictures of the chefs in confident poses. They wore aprons with slogans such as “Kiss the HIV+ Cook” and “I got HIV from eating pasta. Said no one ever.”
The engaging and almost humorous advertising invoked curiosity. It also forced people to think about the stigmas that surround people living with HIV. The 30-second promotional video was targeted and thoughtful in its approach to grab viewers’ attention. The visuals were effective in engaging those watching to think critically about their perceptions connecting HIV positive people and food.
Leading up to the event, Casey House used social media to publicize the event and open a dialogue about HIV. While there was some negative feedback, it served as an opportunity to educate people about HIV and break down misconceptions.
From Kitchen Training to Global Impact
The pop-up restaurant was made possible because it was led by a professional chef, Matt Basile, and his team. The week prior to the event, 14 individuals, some of whom were former clients of Casey House, received training in the art of preparing food by the chef who also created the menu. Their time at June’s not only taught them new skills in the kitchen. It also gave them an opportunity to share their story and engage with the community. In three nights, the restaurant served over 300 people. June’s HIV+ Eatery created space for people to gather and learn more about the challenges that HIV+ people face. Since its creation, June’s garnered over 150 major news stories globally. It was also calculated that over 730,000 Canadians were reached about the issue on social media.
In April 2018, a documentary about June’s premiered. It featured the personal stories of the chefs who boldly stepped out to break the stigmas that surround them daily. The trailer for the documentary is visually captivating and rejects society’s notion of how an HIV positive person should look like by highlighting the diversity within the HIV community. The premiere of the documentary drew in about 400 people and included a panel discussion with the filmmaker, participants of the “Break Bread Smash Stigma” campaign and Casey House’s CEO. The panelists discussed the impact of the campaign and the need for conversation about HIV stigma.
This video shows how youth in Egypt used the New Tactics Strategic Effectiveness method to develop another tactic for addressing the stigma of HIV while protecting the identities of people living with HIV.
