As governments around the world struggle to convince their citizens to stay home to curb the spread of the coronavirus, brands are stepping up to help.
Using their own platforms and marketing teams, Chiquita Brands, Coca-Cola and Mucinex are among the many companies that have debuted branded PSAs urging people to abide by official recommendations surrounding COVID-19.
Chiquita posted a version of its logo on Instagram this morning without its iconic mascot, Miss Chiquita. The caption explained that she was “already home,” and asked followers to “do the same and protect yourself.” Chiquita’s social media accounts are run by Portugal-based digital agency Alice from YoungNetwork Group.
Inter Miami football club, the newest MLS team, altered its logo as well—moving its two white herons, usually side by side, a bit farther apart. “It has never been more important to heed the advice and direction of the authorities to stand for unity and participation in social distancing,” said the club’s vp of community engagement Chris Allan in a statement, adding that the club wanted to leverage its reach to spread the message.
This morning in Times Square, Coca-Cola ran an ad with a similar message, urging people to practice social distancing. On a red background featuring the Coca-Cola logo with the letters spread way out, the ad simply read, “Staying apart is the best way to stay united.” It was created by Mercado McCann in Argentina.
In a campaign that launched Friday, Mucinex created a more exhaustive series of informational ads promoting facts about COVID-19 in an attempt to combat misinformation. The campaign encourages people to stay at least six feet away from others, debunks a myth that the virus is affected by the weather, promotes hand washing and asks people to refrain from touching their faces. Each ad directs people to COVID-19facts.com, a website run by the World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins and international experts.
“The new normal is tense, uncertain and almost paralyzing,” said Mucinex’s vp of marketing, Claudine Patel. “Our team, like every other person in this environment—is nervous,” she added. With this campaign, Mucinex hopes to “help calm the nervousness and point people to the right information where we can, and be a helper during this time.”
Created by McCann New York and McCann Health New York with art by award-winning illustrator Noma Bar, Mucinex’s campaign will run across digital, social, print and out-of-home through the end of April.
The campaigns are part of a broader trend among brands looking for ways to adjust their messaging, marketing and production in light of the global pandemic. Several alcohol brands, for example, have pivoted production to provide free hand sanitizer in the face of a shortage.
Others are doing what they can to support industry partners suffering from shelter-in-place orders that prevent customers from going out as usual. Fireball Whisky, for example, launched the World’s Largest Tip Jar on Friday to support bartenders who have lost their incomes as a result of COVID-19.
