A huge number of top brands and government institutions have joined forces with the Ad Council and the marketing industry to promote staying home amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Adland’s driving force for good has teamed up with The White House, U.S. Department of Health, Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and major companies including Google, Facebook and Pinterest to launch a new campaign.
The nationwide "#StayHome. Save Lives." movement leverages the success of the #AloneTogether social distancing campaign created by MTV and the Entertainment & Youth Brands of ViacomCBS. Starting today, companies will integrate new "roof" iconography into their logos and will push PSAs that focus on social distancing.
"I have never before seen the level of generosity, talent and commitment from across our industry as I have since the onset of COVID-19," said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council.
"By uniting all our voices and platforms in an industry-wide movement to amplify one message with one icon, we will inspire nationwide behavior change that will slow this pandemic. We’re all in this together as an industry, as a community, and as a country, and we need to do everything we can to get through this crisis together."
The drive was conceived by the Ad Council, with the "roof" iconography developed by Google. Creative assets are available in broadcast and digital video, social media, print and out of home formats. All assets drive audiences to www.coronavirus.gov, a centralized resource from HHS and the CDC that provides up-to-date information for the American public about the COVID-19 crisis.
"During this challenging and unprecedented time, it’s never been more important to listen to your local governments and #StayHome," says Danielle Tiedt, vice president of marketing, YouTube. "We are grateful for the Ad Council's leadership in calling the industry to action. We have a special relationship with millennial and GenZ audiences around the world and know we have a responsibility to help keep them safe and slow the spread of COVID-19."
ANA CEO Bob Liodice added: "There is no more important message that we can deliver but to #StayHome. Save Lives. I urge all ANA members to join this effort and drive home this point to their staffs, to their consumers, to customers and, especially, to millennials. Everyone needs to do their part to fight the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home. We’re holding hands with the Ad Council, Google and all of our sister trade associations to make a difference in our nation’s fight against this pandemic."
In times like these, it’s more important than ever to come together.
— IBM at (@IBM) April 8, 2020
IBM is proud to join the #StayHome initiative to encourage everyone to stay home if you can to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Together we can save lives. #AloneTogether pic.twitter.com/YQu5g2M3Nx
4A’s President and CEO Marla Kaplowitz said that we are at a critical moment regarding the spread of COVID-19, and working together with the Ad Council, Google and other trade associations, the industry has the power to broadly communicate and reinforce the critical message of #StayHome. Save Lives.
She said: "As we shared with our members: Together, we are louder. Together, we can help slow the curve. Together, we can clearly communicate this critical message."