RENEWED FOCUS ON AIDS : Sponsors May Use Magic in Ads to Encourage Safe Sex

It may be inspiration--or desperation--but some of Magic Johnson’s biggest corporate sponsors may be lining up to feature the superstar athlete in ads that discuss the HIV virus that on Thursday forced him to retire from basketball.

Executives at Converse shoes and Pepsi indicated Friday that they are considering such ads. They also are considering making sizable donations to any research fund Johnson may set up.

At the same time, many AIDS organizations are eager to get Johnson on their side.

Converse said that next week it expects to announce a campaign featuring Johnson in a public service role. While Pepsi has not made that commitment, “anything is possible,” said spokesman Andrew Giangola. “It would be new and uncharted waters for us.”

At an emotional press conference Thursday, Johnson said he had contracted the HIV virus that leads to AIDS. He said he wants to become an educational spokesman on the virus.

The general feeling among advertising experts is that Johnson is such a well recognized--and beloved--public figure that any association with him will be positive. “This guy is probably the single most adored American,” said New York adman Jerry Della Femina. “If I could get him for one of my clients, I’d use him tomorrow.”

Any corporate ads from Pepsi or Converse that speak to the AIDS issue “would be an incredible gesture,” said Keith Gould, director of creative services at the New York agency NW Ayer. “If I was Converse or Pepsi, I wouldn’t have to think two seconds to do it.”

Only one month after signing Johnson to a long-term contract, executives at Nestle Chocolate & Confection Co. remained mum about their plans. Johnson has not appeared in Nestle ads, but the company had big plans for him because he is their only spokesman.

There is also keen interest in Johnson from AIDS education groups. Executives at AIDS Project/Los Angeles say Johnson could be effective talking to youths about AIDS.

“You don’t change your behavior until you know someone with AIDS,” said Mark Senak, director of client services. “Now, kids not only know someone with AIDS--it’s their hero.”

Advertising executives say any AIDS commercial featuring Johnson should be straightforward. Some suggest simply showing clips from his press conference. “No writer can write what this guy has to say,” said Della Femina. “I’d just hand him the microphone and let him talk.”

The neophyte New York ad industry group, Ads Against AIDS, says it wants Johnson to appear in its next TV spot. On Wednesday, the group released a slew of dramatic public service spots.

One of the ads, created by Ayer, features scenes from a small town, such as a waitress serving at a diner. “Imagine a city where a killer murdered everyone,” says an unseen narrator. A map of the city appears. “In 10 years,” the narrator says, “AIDS has claimed enough lives to populate an entire city.” That number: 110,000 people.

Just how uneducated about AIDS is the public? While filming a public service spot in a small town, the cast and crew were approached by inquisitive locals. Informed that the crew was filming an AIDS educational spot, the residents “looked horrified and walked away,” said Helayne Spivak, executive creative director at Young & Rubicam.