These ads reinforce that every social and family gathering has the potential to include COVID-19 on the guest list. This campaign uses humour and various media and social media platforms to get the attention of Albertans who have been challenging to reach with our traditional public health messaging, McMillan said.
Our goal is to get peoples attention, to help them see common situations from a different perspective and, as a result, to change their actions.
Filming for the campaign took place in November. The ads will run on TV, as well as social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Other messaging from the province will continue.
Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said filming took place under strict protocols. Cast and crew members were screened and were required to wear masks and practise social distancing at all times when the camera was not rolling. In the house party PSA, as many as 10 people can be seen partying without masks or social distancing at a given time.
Other campaigns were also considered, Hinshaw said, but the Mr. COVID campaign was chosen because officials thought it could sway younger demographics.
I was part of the team that looked at various options that were really aimed at effectively reaching out to that particular age group and others that may have tuned out the more serious and fact-based campaigns, Hinshaw said.
The covidloves.ca website contains an array of other information, including myths surrounding the spread of COVID-19 and details on current public-health guidelines in place in Alberta, like the bans on social gathering and the province-wide mask mandate in indoor public spaces.
Screen capture images from COVIDloves.ca.Photo by COVIDLOVES.CA
The website even includes a series of macabre one-liners about how COVID-19 feels about various loved ones.
Of young children, it says, Twinkle twinkle little star, oh how vulnerable you are, while for grandpa, it urges you to enjoy his war stories while you can.
As of Friday, 684 Albertans have died of COVID-19, including 445 people over the age of 80.
There are 20,161 active cases of the virus in Alberta. Among those infections, 684 people are current in hospital, and 123 are in intensive-care units.
jherring@postmedia.com
Twitter: @jasonfherring
