Press Release
Infiniti Announces PSA for Pediatric Aids Program
10/14/96
Infiniti Premieres Public Service Announcement To Help Cutting-Edge Pediatric AIDS Program NEW YORK, Oct. 10 -- Designed to spur awareness of the enormous strides made in the treatment and care of pediatric AIDS patients, a public service announcement, underwritten by the Infiniti Division of Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A., will debut tomorrow (12:00 noon) at the Friends of Princeton Lacrosse and Sponsors Luncheon, held at the Princeton Club in New York City. The evocative 30-second public service announcement, "This Is Me," underscores both the new sense of hope -- and yet the urgency -- among all children living with HIV/AIDS by focusing on the life of one girl in the Robert Wood Johnson Pediatric AIDS Program (RWJPAP). A joint program of the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the RWJPAP cares for HIV-positive infants, children and adolescents. The program's capabilities, commitment and success have led to its wide renown as a cutting-edge model for other such programs throughout the country. Infiniti and its award-winning advertising agency, TBWA Chiat/Day, donated the services, talent and funding for the PSA, which features the unmistakable voice of actor Andre Braugher, featured on the hit television series "Homicide." "The message of our public service announcement is simply this: these kids are myth-breakers and thanks to the work of RWJPAP, pediatric AIDS is no longer an 'immediate death sentence,'" said Tom Dolan, Regional Advertising Manager, Infiniti-East. "A secondary goal is to -- with the support of our ad agency -- convince our television contacts to help us disseminate this important message and help support RWJPAP." In the PSA, a girl with wide eyes and a bright smile fills the screen, "This is me," she says, softly, as the camera explores poignant scenes from her daily experience. "This is my family ... these are my friends." Finally, we see a commencement ceremony, which, she says, is just the beginning of "my future." Her words of hope are followed by Andre Braugher's, as he intones, "With your help, it can be a long life." Infiniti's involvement with the program dates back to 1991. With the support and encouragement of Ed Sherman, Regional Vice President Infiniti-East, the company originally joined forces with the Princeton Tigers lacrosse team to create the Infiniti Lacrosse Invitational at Princeton. This year marks the Invitational's fifth anniversary. The Tigers (1996 Men's National Lacrosse Champions), under coach Bill Tierney, have long been supporters of RWJPAP and have worked with Infiniti to donate proceeds from the Invitational to the medical program. Dr. Sunanda Gaur, director of RWJPAP, and program coordinator Roseann Marone, appreciate the ongoing efforts of Infiniti, TBWA Chiat/Day, and the Princeton Tigers. "Our kids are living better lives, well into their teen years, a fact we desperately want more people to realize," said Dr. Gaur. "We applaud the hands-on support of Infiniti, which is giving us the tools to get our story told and thus build our program's resources." Those wishing to learn more about the work of RWJPAP, and to find out how they can help, are invited to call, toll-free, 1-888-PED-AIDS. Infiniti, the luxury car division of Nissan Motor Corporation U.S.A., has a network of more than 145 dealerships. A leader in customer satisfaction, Infiniti introduced the Infiniti Total Ownership Experience (TOE) to enhance the car-buying process. The Robert Wood Johnson Pediatric AIDS Program is just one of the many community-based programs that Infiniti and its dealers support.