NORTH READING, Mass. -- Converse Inc., the nation's largest athletic shoe company, said it will be begin airing public service announcements Thursday featuring NBA stars who warn that 'anyone can get the AIDS virus.'
The 30-second spots, entitled 'Magic's Athletes Against AIDS,' will feature Kevin Johnson of the Phoenix Suns, Larry Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets and University of Kentucky coach Rick Pitino.
Converse, who has paid Earvin 'Magic' Johnson to endorse its products for the past 13 years, said Tuesday the ad would be aired for the next three weeks on the major networks and the cable music channel MTV at a cost of $1 million.
Additional 30- and 15-second spots with Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith will be produced in 1992, along with print ads on AIDS education and research, the company said. All of the coaches and athletes featured in the spots endorse Converse products.
Converse first announced it would sponsor the spots in November, shortly after Johnson disclosed that he had contracted the AIDS virus and was retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers.
At the time, Converse President Gib Ford said the company would honor its contract with Johnson, which runs through 1995.
Johnson has said he plans to devote much of his time to warning Americans, particularly youngsters, about AIDS and urging them to practice safer sex. Converse said he would not appear in the 'Magic's Athletes Against AIDS' series.
'Right now, we felt it would be more effective to have athletes speaking to his cause, rather than having Johnson in there himself,' said Converse spokeswoman Jennifer Murray.
The initial ad will debut during NBC's 'A Different World' and Fox- TV's 'Beverly Hills, 90210' Thursday, and will continue with spots on 'Saturday Night Live,' 'Arsenio Hall,' 'In Living Color,' 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air,' 'Friday Night Videos' and 'Married ... With Children,' the announcement said.
The public service ad was produced with the help of the National Centers For Disease Control in Atlanta and the CDC's national AIDS hotline number -- 1-800-342-AIDS -- will be featured at the end of announcement.
Lon Rosen, Johnson's agent, said the ads carry a 'strong and effective message.'
'Earvin endorses the messages from Kevin, Larry and Rick and supports their call to action in the fight against the HIV virus and AIDS,' he said.
