Dining Out For Life to Commemorate World AIDS Day With 360-Degree Video
Subaru of America commissioned HIV+ artist and AIDS activist Mondo Guerra to create Next Generation Pozitivity designs for digital montage
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., November 15, 2016 /3BL Media/ – On World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2016, Project Runway All Stars winner and Dining Out For Life spokesperson Mondo Guerra will reveal a 360-degree video designed to emphasize the power of Pozitivity while fostering hope and inspiration for people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Guerra approached this World AIDS Day project with a consciousness and understanding that we respond to situations based on how we perceive them. “With these designs, I hope to demonstrate the idea that reality is a fluid concept,” stated Guerra. “What we perceive as real is often defined by preconceived notions, attitudes and other influences – which in turn shapes how we view ourselves and the world. When I was first diagnosed with HIV, I could have chosen to see my status as devastating and terrible – and respond accordingly. Instead, I made a choice to live with HIV in ways that challenge and inspire me both as an artist and as an advocate,” stated Guerra.
Guerra will present the second generation of his acclaimed Pozitivity print as part of a :90 second video montage that will reveal 62 newly created images, each representing an AIDS Service Organization licensee of the annual Dining Out For Life fundraiser, for which Guerra is a national spokesperson. “Artistically, I am inspired to pay homage to those who work endlessly helping others affected by HIV/AIDS. Living with HIV and working on a long-term wellness plan with my doctors has changed my perceptions on life. I now choose to live each and every day with a positive spirit, and I’m positive that I am better for it. That’s the power of Pozitivity that I hope to share.”
Subaru of America, a longtime supporter of HIV/AIDS health education and awareness initiatives and a decade-long national sponsor of Dining Out For Life, commissioned Guerra to create the World AIDS Day tribute. Marketing agency “15 Minutes” Inc. utilized a 360-degree 3-D video application on a montage of Guerra’s illustrations because the format allows viewers to change the angle of the imagery, altering their perception of the designs. For Guerra, an HIV+ artist, this feature symbolizes the choices each of us has in how we view and respond to life’s circumstances.
“We are proud to be the Host Sponsor of Dining Out For Life and to mark World AIDS Day with continued support of the millions of people living with HIV,” stated Subaru of America President and COO, Thomas J. Doll. “Subaru believes we should all have a chance to lead a healthy life and aims to give as many people that chance as we can.”
Mondo captured the hearts of fans around the world when he first revealed his HIV-positive status and the first generation of “Pozitivity” as a textile design on Project Runway (Season 8). Aside from Guerra, volunteer Dining Out For Life spokespeople include Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s Chopped, actor Pam Grier (Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown) and author/chef Daisy Martinez . The annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser is hosted in 62 cities across North America and takes place in most markets on Thursday, April 27, 2017.
To see this video and learn more about the World AIDS Day Project, follow Dining Out For Life on Facebook and Instagram visit www.diningoutforlife.com Please share #Pozitivity to show support for this cause.
About Dining Out For Life
Dining Out For Life began in Philadelphia in 1991 and has since grown into an international event held in cities across North America – raising an average $4 million annually. The idea behind the single-day event is simple and effective: Dine Out, Fight AIDS. Each restaurant donates a percentage of the day’s food sales, which goes to local organizations to fund care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and other essential HIV/AIDs services. For more information, visit www.diningoutforlife.com or Facebook/DiningOut4Life. To participate, please contact Dining Out For Life International Association, Inc.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 620 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit media.subaru.com.
About Mondo Guerra
Mondo Guerra is a Denver born artist, designer and influencer whose bold prints caught the fashion world’s imagination when he first revealed his HIV+ status on “Project Runway” Season 8. He went on to win the debut season of “Project Runway All Stars” and became an audience favorite as a mentor on Lifetime’s spinoff series, “Under The Gunn”. Mondo’s modern designs blend fashion and social consciousness. In 2013, Guerra became a national spokesperson for Dining Out For Life, an annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser hosted by Subaru. He was commissioned to create a custom World AIDS Day design for the 2015 Subaru Legacy revealed during Art Basel Miami and is a spokesperson for Merck’s iDesign HIV/AIDS educational initiative. Mondo’s creative designs can be purchased as a variety of original products (from See Eyewear to Crocs footwear), and his signature collections are available on MondoGuerra.com.
Media Contacts:
“15 Minutes” Inc. Nancy Becker or Laura Weber, 610-832-1515 or laura@15minutesinc.com.
Subaru of America, Inc., Diane Anton, 856-488-5098 or danton@subaru.com.
