Don’t censor your creativity

Jason Farmer, the Vice President of Marketing, graciously shares that AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) stands as the largest global non-profit organization dedicated to providing medical care for individuals living with HIV and AIDS since 1987. Currently, AHF is proud to serve 2.4 million people across 48 countries. The foundation supports its mission to eradicate AIDS through a diverse network of pharmacies, thrift stores, healthcare centers, and other strategic collaboration.

As they develop and introduce new programs in communities both in the U.S. and internationally, they are enhancing healthcare delivery and advocating for policy changes, all with the noble goal of saving more lives.

Jason's greatest accomplishment has been his remarkable career progression at AHF. He takes immense pride in being a part of AHF, as he deeply stands with the organization's mission and the positive impact it has globally. When he joined the organization, he began as a coordinator alongside two colleagues in the marketing department. Today, he holds the position of Vice President of Marketing, having successfully established an in-house advertising agency and leading a talented team of over 30 professionals.As he celebrates his 20th anniversary with AHF, he feels truly honored to witness the remarkable growth from just a few thousand patients in care at the beginning of his journey to 2.4 million today.

Championing Bold, Impactful Campaigns

• Cutting through the noise: Jason is best known for spearheading AHF’s provocative global outdoor advertising campaigns that harness humor, shock, and awareness to spark conversations and encourage action.

Notable campaigns include:

• “Feel the Burn?” (a playful nod on STD awareness parodying Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign)

• “Check Your Wiener” to promote STD testing

• “Just Use It” A cheeky twist on Nike’s slogan designed to spark conversation on safer sex. Debuting on 37 billboards across the U.S., U.K., and the Netherlands, this campaign reached over 1.2 million people. Despite facing pushback from major billboard companies, streamlining to independent vendors ensured the uncensored creative remained intact—and the campaign won “Print/Out of Home Campaign of the Year” at the 2024 Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards.

• “Syphilis Explosion” STD testing campaign was designed like a blockbuster movie poster, it dramatized rising syphilis rates—complete with a lava-spewing volcano. Jason’s approach marries real-time public health data with visual storytelling, grabbing attention and triggering action.

These campaigns are designed to connect audiences—especially younger, sexually active adults—with accessible testing and prevention options. He balances shock with care—ensuring each concept is clear, relevant, and emotionally impactful.

As Farmer explains, "we want people to say okay, maybe I do need to go get tested. It’s better to get the relief you need instead of having that guilt or worry inside of not knowing your status."

Bridging Creativity and Strategy

Jason’s expertise lies not just in eye-catching visuals but in aligning creative direction with AHF’s broader mission:

• Data-driven creativity: He blends analytical insights with imaginative concepts, ensuring every campaign is rooted in audience understanding and a measurable impact.

• Global reach: His efforts encompass campaigns across multiple U.S. cities and across the globe through traditional and digital media.

• Awards & recognition: His work has earned many awards and industry praise, including the prestigious Gold Obie Award in Outdoor Advertising, which elevates AHF’s brand while championing advocacy for greater public sexual health.

Jason’s Creative Philosophy

• “Keep it simple.” Short headlines, bold visuals, direct messaging.

• “Push it as far as we can.” Willingness to handle backlash because public health sometimes demands disruption.

• Data-backed ideation. Campaigns are seeded in surveillance data and informed by the rise in STD rates across the country.

Leadership and Influence

• As a seasoned leader, Jason directs a diverse in-house team, coordinating design, digital and traditional advertising outreach, media relations, large-scale events and community engagement.

• He views marketing as a tool for social change—raising awareness, reducing stigma, and increasing testing and treatment rates. His creative voice has been instrumental in shaping AHF's public advocacy.

Personal & Professional Commitment

• Jason has committed two decades to AHF, rising steadily through the ranks since 2005 and reflecting deep alignment with the nonprofit’s mission.

• He is motivated by leveraging creativity to save lives—seeing every campaign as an opportunity to make healthcare more visible, relatable, and destigmatized.

Jason Farmer is the imaginative powerhouse behind AHF’s most memorable and effective public health campaigns and through a bold blend of strategy, creativity, and advocacy, he amplifies AHF’s mission—encouraging safe sex, testing, and greater access to healthcare globally.

By merging audacious visual storytelling, strategic media placement, and behavioral insights, he has amplified AHF’s mission—and shifted how sexual health campaigns are developed and received. He champions creativity not for its own sake, but as a catalyst for social change, which has redefined what is possible in nonprofit healthcare advertising.