Warning: this video contains flashing light effects

As electronic dance music and underground raves swept Australia in the 1990s, growing concerns emerged about the health and safety of young people, particularly around drug use, safe sex and other party-related risks. In response, one of Australia's most distinctive and visually striking public service announcements was born – and it was custom-made for the free party scene of 1994–96.

Funded by the AIDS Bureau, NSW Department of Health and the AIDS Trust of Australia, the computer-animated sequence was screened at dance parties across the country. Amid vivid colours, psychedelic patterns and pulsing abstract forms, brief flashes of funky text deliver messages such as SAFE SEX, NEW FIT SAFE HIT and H2O.

At first glance, this rapid-fire approach to promoting hydration and safer sex can seem unconventional – almost hypnotic in its coded visual language. However, the format makes sense when considered in the context of its audience. Designed to capture the attention of partygoers who may have been intoxicated or immersed in an intensely stimulating environment, the bold, hyperactive visuals allowed these safety messages to cut through the sensory overload while blending seamlessly into the atmosphere of the rave itself.

Explore more Rave Safe with lifestyle program Level 23