Who: This Is Our Shot, Labatt Breweries of Canada, and dozens of other Canadian brands, with creative by Labatt’s DraftLine YYZ.
What: “This is our Shot to be #TogetherAgain,” a new “national consortium” combining two different efforts to encourage Canadians to get their Covid vaccine: “This Is Our Shot,” created by public health and medical groups, and Labatt’s #TogetherAgain initiative, both of which launched in April.
When & Where: A new logo and new ad are out now. The logo is on T-shirts that can be bought at ThisIsOurShot.ca (with proceeds to Kids Help Phone) and the ad will run in paid and donated inventory from media outlets and businesses across the country—including on Sportsnet during the first game of Montreal Canadiens’ next playoff series.
Why: Because we really, really, REALLY need as many Canadian as possible get vaccinated, but a significant percentage remain unsure about getting their shot. According to the consortium, research from Boston Consulting Group and 19 to Zero puts it at 21%. Many of those who are vaccine hesitant come from BIPOC communities with a history of health inequity, or are members of Gen Z less concerned about catching Covid-19.
The campaign goal is to target hesitant and hotspot communities with facts and information to dispel their concerns.
“To date, the ‘This Is Our Shot’ movement has made a major impact in encouraging Canadians to get informed and feel confident about vaccination in a way that’s inclusive and community-based,” said respirologist Dr. Anju Anand in a release.
How: The idea behind the campaign is to ask people their reason for getting vaccinated. The 60-second ad shows various scenes of frontline workers and Canadians getting their shot, with cutaways showing their reason—best friends, mom, my kids, front row seats etc.—which is also written on the bandage applied to their arm after getting the shot. The bandage is also featured on a new logo that is being used on T-shirts and other creative elements.
The ad is soundtracked by the Arkells song “All Roads.”
The backing brands: “As the Covid-19 vaccine rollout continues, connecting people with credible sources of information from health authorities to build trust and confidence is critical,” said Garrick Tiplady, managing director of Facebook Canada, one of the many big brands backing the initiative. “This Is Our Shot to be #TogetherAgain is a key part of this work, and the cross-industry collaboration enabled through this movement is essential.”
While Facebook has been blamed for helping to spread misinformation about vaccination in the past, it has made a number of efforts to get people vaccinated and to amplify credible vaccine information from experts.
“Facebook is using its scale to connect billions of people with accurate health information to help build confidence in vaccines, and we’re removing false claims that have been debunked by public health experts,” said Tiplady in an email to The Message. “Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve removed more than 18 million pieces of content from Facebook and Instagram globally for violating our policies on Covid-19-related misinformation and harm, and connected over 2 billion people around the world to Covid information from credible health authorities.”
Speaking with The Message in April for the launch of its #TogetherAgain effort, Labatt Breweries of Canada president Kyle Norrington said he wanted other corporations to make similar efforts to take on hesitancy. “One website with just Labatt is not going to do anything. One hashtag that multiple companies in Canada get behind and start promoting, that is going to make a difference,” he said at the time.
More than 200 businesses are involved with the program, including most of the country’s biggest brands (including a handful from media and advertising).
And we quote: “With the support of our new partners, we’re hoping we can continue to get the message out to more communities across the country so we can end the pandemic, together.”—Guri Pannu, founder of This Is Our Shot.
