The Ad Council, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has launched a campaign urging Americans to continue to wear a mask until they are vaccinated.
Per a Tuesday press release detailing the campaign:
The campaign, supported by a grant from The Rockefeller Foundation, is an extension of the national ‘Mask Up America’ campaign, which throughout the pandemic has aimed to increase compliance and acceptance of wearing masks and face coverings as one of the main prevention behaviors in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, and including vaccination, social distancing, and hand washing.
The Ad Council’s press release cites the CDC recommendations easing mask requirements for vaccinated people but notes that “roughly 50% of the US population still has not received at least one dose.”
“For these individuals, it is still critical for them to continue masking up until vaccinated in order to protect themselves and loved ones from COVID-19,” the press release states.
The current campaign features a few 30-second spots, each urging Americans to wear a mask until they are vaccinated for the Chinese coronavirus.
One ad, titled “Swim,” features Olympic gold medalist and member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame Rowdy Gaines. “This is no time to mess around,” the chyron reads in the ad featuring the gold medalist, who randomly stops in the middle of a race.
“Until you’re vaccinated, keep wearing a mask,” the ad states. “Mask up. Let’s finish strong”:
Another ad, “Book Club,” features a woman holding her monthly book club meetings virtually.
“This is how we have to meet, because when we spend time indoors with people, we can still spread COVID faster than Nancy’s gossip,” she says.
“That’s why I’m still masking wherever I go. Because until I’m vaccinated, a mask helps slow the spread,” the woman adds:
The third ad features a man watching his “third live concert this month” on TV and noting he has not been to a concert in a year because “the more we’re indoors together, the more COVID spreads.”
“And until I’m vaccinated, masks help slow the spread, which means we can go to concerts. Like real ones,” he said, asking people to mask up “for the music”:
“At such a critical point in the COVID-19 pandemic and as many people are unsure about whether or not to continue masking up, these PSAs are a needed reminder for those who have not yet gotten vaccinated to keep wearing a mask until they do,” Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman said in a statement.
“We’re grateful to our partners at Colle McVoy and SKDK for creating such important and entertaining films that will inspire and protect people across the country,” she added.
According to the CDC’s June 15 data, 174,674,144 people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, representing 52.6 percent of the population.
Most major retailers have lifted their mask requirements for vaccinated guests while “strongly” encouraging unvaccinated customers to continue to mask up.
Meanwhile, critics say the Biden administration’s messaging on masks continues to undermine their vaccine efforts. For example, Vice President Kamala Harris wore a mask while meeting Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador earlier this month, even though both leaders are vaccinated.
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