Over the weekend, the Australian government released a new COVID-19 vaccination ad which was disturbing to say the least. It featured a young woman struggling to breathe on a ventilator, and felt more like an extreme anti-smoking commercial than a wholesome and uplifting campaign to vaccinate the nation.
The government really can and should do better. On that note, let’s have a looksy at how other countries have been encouraging people to get vaccinated through TV ads.
A lot of these ads are hopeful for a post-lockdown future. Most of them feature people from broad demographics and different lifestyles. A lot of them also feature uplifting music and cool choreography. Some of them even include important facts about how safe the vaccines are.
But the one thing they all have in common is that none of them feature someone dying on a fucking ventilator.
Whether you just want some escapism to bide your time in lockdown, or you’re looking for a video so send to someone who might be a bit apprehensive about getting their jab, these COVID-19 vaccination TV ads from overseas are just what the doctor ordered.
France
It may be a simple montage with a catchy tune, but don’t say this French vaccination ad doesn’t give you chills every time you watch it.
The vibe is extremely French – perhaps obnoxiously so – but there’s nothing like a bit of continental je ne sais quoi to make you forget about the racism and cost of living problems that plague France on a good day.
Singapore
You can’t go wrong with singing and dancing, so Singapore enlisted sitcom star Uncle Phua to star in this hypnotic pop song. The jingle comes off the back of the former TV actor’s previous pandemic PSAs. It’s kind of like if all our coronavirus ads were Kath & Kim themed.
There’s something so captivating about hearing a middle-aged dude rap about vaccines in fluent Singlish. It’ll have you singing “Steady Pom Pi Pi” in no time.
New Zealand
We’ve already written about how New Zealand’s vaccination ad campaign – much like the rest of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic – shits all over our attempts at something similar.
But it’s worth another look, just to soak in what feels like all five million Kiwis saying “ka kite” to a global pandemic in unison. This may as well be New Zealand’s next tourism campaign, too.
Canada
As someone who finished uni in 2019 but who still hasn’t had a graduation ceremony thanks to the pandemic, this one hit close to home.
Canada’s vaccination TV commercial reminds us that once we all get that jab, we can pick up where we left off back in early 2021. I can’t bloody wait.
Scotland
Scotland saw a great pun and ran with it. They also produced a separate version of their vaccination ad targeted specifically at people aged 18-49, which is kinda topical for us, too.
Also: how good are the bloody accents. Only a Scot could make the word “coronavirus” sound sexy, hey.
USA
The USA has a bunch of different ads floating around, but perhaps most notable are the ones featuring former presidents (and in one case, a former first lady, too).
Obviously, Donald Trump isn’t featured. But it does include Barack Obama, George Bush and Bill Clinton. Americans are weirdly partisan about everything, so this strategy makes sense.
Chile
With roughly 60% of the population fully vaccinated, Chile has the highest vaccination rate out of the 38 countries in the OECD (Australia has the lowest).
It’s no surprise then that their national ad campaign is pretty solid. You don’t have to understand Spanish to get good vibes here.
UK
Elton John, for some reason, was chosen as the face of the UK’s vaccination TV ad campaign. Unusual a choice he may be, the data shows it’s clearly worked.
In fact, it would be cool to see some Aussie celebs do something similar so people stop freaking out over what really are safe and vital vaccines against a deadly global pandemic.
You don’t need a background in marketing like Scott Morrison to understand what makes a good vaccination ad, and what makes a confusing, frustrating and panic-inducing one.
The ball’s now in his court to fix yet another mess.
