“You would think that this would be a message that they’d want to get behind—be safe, use a condom, and if you didn’t, get checked on your way out,” said Billups’ global CEO David Krupp.

Petur Workman, a veteran brand and marketing consultant based in LA, agrees. Coachella “should have said, ‘hey, could we have your guys attend? Would you like to have a free booth?’ They should have partnered with [AHF] and embraced this.”

Farmer explained that his group’s billboard isn’t a hit on the festival or its owners, just a message directed toward a demographic known for its concertgoing.

“We look for opportunities where we can impact the people that are most at risk, which is youth 15-24, and be in the right place at the right time,” he said, adding: “It’s Coachella—people are going to be hooking up.”

But that might also be the sticking point. “This is the first year Coachella did not sell out,” said Grace Teng, partner and chief media officer for LA media agency Scale by Zambezi. “My point of view is that Coachella wants a cleaner image focused around music and experience and less about hooking up.”

Meanwhile, the billboard remains in place at press time in anticipation of Coachella’s April 19-21 weekend. Krupp is confident concertgoers will see it. After all, he said, “they’re usually stuck in traffic.”