What’s so funny about Covid-19?
PARC Retirement Living chooses a lighter approach to behaviour change with cartoon Covid-19 poster campaign
In a few short weeks, Canada went from business as usual to a whole new set of rules to help protect our elders and care workers from infection.
PARC Retirement Living needed to act quickly to get messaging up in their locations. Knowing these posters would be up for some time, and taking into consideration the independent mind set of their residents, the team at PARC chose to communicate with direct headlines and cartoon images to drive these important messages home.
Strategy, creative and production were handled by a trio of independent agencies, (Watershed Marketing Consulting, Unicycle Creative and New Collider Creative) working together to get the campaign completed in just one week.
Strategist Cam Landell (Watershed) points out some of the advantages to the illustrative approach: “Everyone is bombarded with strident and serious Covid-19 messaging in other media. For posters that will be up in the residences for a long period of time, cartoons let us keep the strong, clear wording, while adding humanity to the campaign.”
Writer and cartoonist Lorne Craig (Unicycle) was tasked with finding some humour in these stressful Covid-19 times. “For social distancing, I had a Laurel & Hardy type of image come to mind of someone carrying a ladder to clear their space. It’s unique, and also respects the energy of the independent seniors who call PARC Residences home.”
Design and production for posters, stickers and tray liners was handled by Arno Apeldoorn (New Collider) who made them consistent with existing PARC graphic standards while adding a fresh palette of colours to set this campaign apart.
“I hope the posters generate a few smiles and maybe a little discussion among the residents,” Craig continues, “I think people respect the rules a bit better when they feel like they are being treated like humans in the process.”