HGX Selected as Creative Agency for National Aids Fund New Brand

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Boston, MA – November 7, 2007 – The National AIDS Fund (NAF) in Washington, D.C., the leading national AIDS organization with an expanding network of Community Partnerships that support over 350 grassroots HIV/AIDS organizations nationally, has signed Boston marketing agency, HGX Creative, to spearhead its branding and corporate marketing initiatives across three core areas: National, Community Partnerships and Individual Consumer Marketing.

“Despite the tremendous successes of HIV prevention efforts and many treatment advances, AIDS continues to devastate the lives of our sons, daughters, neighbors, co-workers and closest friends. AIDS is still an epidemic of crisis proportion in the United States, “says Kandy Ferree, National AIDS Fund President & CEO. “The National AIDS Fund is the only U.S.-based philanthropic HIV/AIDS organization building prevention and care networks across the country, which differentiates us from the sea of other HIV and disease charities.

More than 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States. The disease is especially now affecting women, young adults, teens, African Americans and Hispanics.

“As we move into our 20th year in 2008, we decided a new brand would help communicate how far the National AIDS Fund has come and how far we need to go,” said Ferree. “HGX has proven to be a worthy partner in guiding us to achieve many of our communication goals.”

NAF will unveil its new brand logo as part of its World AIDS Day awareness-and-fundraising campaign. Promotional items to help communicate key messages will be created in 2008 as part of a national awareness, prevention and fundraising strategy.

“We are ecstatic about the opportunity to work with the NAF to develop and implement a brand and marketing strategy that addresses their challenges and needs,” said Debbie Nierman, President of HGX Creative.

HGX Creative was selected because they demonstrated an understanding of HIV/AIDS issues in the United States, as well as the challenges that non-profits face. The company’s initial commitment employs their expertise to refine and refresh the National AIDS Fund brand and design, provides consultation, and will design collateral to bolster national awareness of the organization to strengthen its domestic presence, fortify the innovative methods NAF uses to reduce the incidence and impact of HIV/AIDS domestically, and to promote leadership at the community level to respond to the epidemic.

About HGX Creative
Serving the east coast with locations in Boston and Fort Lauderdale, HGX Creative is proud to have clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. HGX is a recipient of the 2006 PPAI Bronze Award for Outstanding Use of Promotional Products in a Campaign, a 2006 American Graphic Design Award, the Load of Gold 2006 award for Best Web Site, Asociaciones and most recently a winner of the 2007 Communicator Awards. HGX is also a 2006 Webby Award Honoree.

About NAF
The National AIDS Fund was founded to reduce the incidence and impact of HIV/AIDS by promoting leadership and generating resources for effective community responses to the epidemic. Since 1988, together with its Community Partnerships, the National AIDS Fund has marshaled and invested over $142 million to combat the AIDS epidemic in the United States. The National AIDS Fund continues to develop innovative public-private partnerships as a means of leveraging national resources and directing them to communities and populations most impacted by the epidemic. It has received the highest rating, four stars, from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent evaluator of charities, recognizing its financial efficiency and effectiveness. For complete information on the NAF and its many programs, please visit www.aidsfund.org.

Contact: Ceri Usmar
508-405-4506 (p); 508-405-4509 (f)
[email protected] (e)