NEXT STOP

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many were hesitant to get vaccinated. The New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) requested a campaign that would encourage people of all ages and demographics to get vaccinated and boosted.

The Challenge

While New Jerseyans had a desire to return to a pre-pandemic sense of normalcy, there was some hesitation to embrace the vaccine that may provide the solution. Concerns about the safety and approval process of the COVID-19 vaccine had been fueled by misconceptions, misinformation, and longstanding trepidations about vaccines in general. This resulted in a state vaccination rate of only 66%.

The Solution

A multilingual, statewide public awareness and outreach campaign was developed. It focused on changing behaviors through increased COVID-19 vaccination rates, specifically promoting COVID-19 boosters for adults and initial vaccine doses for eligible children. Eye-catching creative targeted all New Jerseyans throughout the state with a mix of digital and traditional media tactics. All this effort contributed to 6.8 million vaccinations and 3.8 million boosters.

The Creative

Moments in people’s lives are direct points in their decision-making journeys. The creative approach focused on those moments and intersected them with images of diverse residents donning red bandages. Fill in the blank—what’s the next thing you want to do once you’ve gotten a vaccine or booster shot? First stop: vaccine or booster. Next stop: so many joyful possibilities!