pulling its punches.

And it was suggested organisers learn from hard-hitting film of Holocaust victims.

AIDS activist Mrs. Hilary Soares said she had seen footage of Jews' ravaged bodies in the Nazi concentration camps. The bodies weighed no more than 60 pounds "soaking wet'' -- and those of AIDS sufferers were similarly emaciated, she said.

Mrs. Soares said she had seen the film as a teenager, and had been deeply moved. "I remember the movie even now,'' she added.

Mrs. Soares is the co-ordinator at Agape House, the hospice which cares for the terminally ill, including AIDS patients. She repeated earlier warnings about how Bermuda's "middle population'' faced being wiped out by the disease.

Campaign organisers welcomed her comments, and did not rule out hardening the message, which had been labelled "stark and aggressive''.

But they added many young Bermudians claimed not to be moved by images of death. And they pointed out youths had helped produce the ads, knowing what influenced them.

These images had to relate more closely to young people's lives.

Mrs. Soares' outburst came at yesterday's launching of the campaign by the Advertising and Publicity Association of Bermuda (APAB).

Among VIPs there were Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness, Education Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira, and Mr. Tom Lamont, chairman of the APAB committee.

People involved in the campaign -- a year in organising -- have given their services free.

The drive will kick off this week with television ads on Bermuda's three stations. They will run intensively for several weeks, and then more selectively afterwards.

There was a preview of four ads at yesterday's launch.

One showed a woman caressing a man's finely-muscled torso. Its message is that even healthy people can carry the AIDS virus.

Another showed an "authority figure'', a big brother, getting across the need for safe sex through using condoms.

Finishing touches are also being applied to a radio campaign.

And there are plans to deliver AIDS brochures to every household, and display posters throughout the Island.

These posters, with such slogans as "Use Your Condom Sense'', will also run as ads in newspapers, including The Royal Gazette , and magazines.

No time limit has been set for the campaign, which singles out 18 to 25-year-olds. A review will be carried out after six months.

The drive was started after Mr. Edness challenged the community to get together to combat the AIDS crisis.

Latest figures show 2.5 million people worldwide have AIDS. And, as of August 1993, 237 cases had been diagnosed in Bermuda.

The Island recently recorded its 200th AIDS related death.

"The numbers on AIDS are terrifying,'' said Mr. Lamont.

He added: "The brochure represents our best attempt to explain as simply and clearly as possible the facts concerning HIV and AIDS, and to let our youth and others know that they can seek further information and counselling on the Island.'' Mr. Lamont continued: "Schools have the opportunity to play a very important role in educating our children concerning AIDS.

"One of our committee members with us today has been working with the Department of Education to come up with a solution on how to better communicate the dangers of AIDS to our school children.'' Mr. Martin Smith, president of the Allan Vincent Smith Foundation, applauded the effort. He also urged people to wear red ribbons symbolising the Island's stance against AIDS.

FIGHTING A KILLER -- Anti-AIDS campaign organiser Ms Rhonna Emmerson shows some of the posters which will go up throughout Bermuda.