The original storyboards for the 1987 Grim Reaper television commercial to warn against AIDS are being offered for sale.
The ad showed the Grim Reaper in a bowling alley, aiming to knock down men, women and children.
The confronting public service campaign is considered a landmark in Australian commercial creativity, winning multiple Australian and international awards.
The 11 frames of the storyboard were drawn and painted, using gouache and pen on Fabriano paper, for then creative duo, Siimon Reynolds (writer) and Marcus Jackson (then Barnett, art director), of then Grey Advertising, for their pitch to the National Advisory Committee on AIDs in 1986.
The work was done overnight in 11 hours by one artist, finishing at 6am so the storyboards could be made into an animatic with voice over and sound effects and be ready in time for the pitch that day.
The artist, who wishes to remain anonymous, told AdNews: "As I read the script, I felt my heart pounding and butterflies in my stomach.
"Siimon’s Grim Reaper script, to me, was brilliant. It was such an original and amazingly creative concept that got the gravity of the message across. I thought it was genius."
The script starts: “At first, only gays and IV drug users were being killed by AIDS.
"But now we know...Every one of us......could be devastated by it."
And ends with "If you have sex with more than just one safe partner, always use condoms. Always.”
The original storyboards are for sale via Jane Raffan at ArtiFacts.net.au on jraffan@artifacts.net.au.
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