A new German AIDS awareness campaign has ignited a firestorm of controversy after comparing AIDS to Hitler and a mass murder – a comparison some AIDS groups fear may lead to further stigmatization of the HIV-positive community.

The ads, created by the German AIDS group Verein Regenbogen and the advertising agency Das Comitee, are intended to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. The 45-second spot depicts a man and woman having sex, and concludes by revealing the man to be a look-a-like of Adolf Hitler. “AIDS is a mass murderer,” reads the tagline, “Protect yourself!”

“The campaign is designed to shake people up, to bring the topic of AIDS back to center stage, and to reverse the trend of unprotected sexual intercourse,” said Regenbogen on its Web site. “Over the past number of years, public interest in AIDS has massively declined.”

The ad has certainly garnered attention. Media outlets worldwide have reacted to the spot, and articles about it have appeared in numerous sources from Time magazine to Business Week. Reaction has mostly been negative, however, and many AIDS groups are outraged.

“Only very few of the TV-viewers will combine Adolf Hitler with the HI-virus,” said the German AIDS Foundation (“Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung”) in a press release (pdf) condemning the ads. “More obviously seems a chain of associations: HIV-positive equals (mass) murderer. Therefore the campaign fosters the stigmatization of people living with HIV and AIDS.”

The Agence France-Presse reported Wednesday that YouTube had pulled the ad from their Web site, citing “terms of use violation.” No further details were given.

The spot is still scheduled to run on German television and cinemas to mark World AIDS Day 2009, which is observed December 1. In addition to the ad, the campaign features posters with Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and Joseph Stalin; a radio spot; and a music video.

For more information, see the “AIDS is a mass murderer” Web site (warning: explicit content).