We hope the humor in the videos takes away the heaviness that people often associate with STD testing. We want a herpes test or an HIV test to feel as every bit of a common as taking an annual eye exam, says Brandi Kurtyka, President of the Consumer Division of PinpointMD, getSTDtested.com’s parent company.
The GetSTDtested.com web series (www.youtube.com/getSTDtested) features Jimbo, an everyman character that was once burned by love and a nasty case of the chlam (aka chlamydia). In his introduction video, he explains that his fascination with STD testing began after a chlamydia test came back positive. Jimbo trusted that his girlfriend was monogamous when in fact she was anything but. The story is told through a single-camera testimonial, complete with the awkward humor that is often associated with popular comedies like The Office and Parks and Recreation. Subsequent videos feature Jimbo in tricky situations as he tries to spread his “get STD tested” message to other characters. All actors are members of Chicago’s rich and storied improv community.
Three videos from the series are currently playing on YouTube (www.youtube.com/getSTDtested).“We hope people will use the videos to open a conversation and have a good laugh,” Kurtyka says. “People say laughter is the best medicine, but in this case we think it makes for a great preventative tool, too.”
To view the std testing videos series, visit GetSTDtested.com’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/getSTDtested. Press inquires, contact bkurtyka (at) pinpointmd.com.
