The B.C. Ministry of Health has funded an $800,000 print, radio and online campaign to let parents know how important it is to have their children vaccinated.
The campaign by Publicis Vancouver targets parents with children under the age of two.
One print ad shows a small child peering out from behind a safety gate over a set of stairs. Another shows her touching an electrical socket with a safety plug firmly in place. The tag line is: “You protect your child from the dangers you can see—what about the ones you can’t?”
Ian Roe, immunization promotion specialist with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver, says that while the Internet can be a powerful tool for information, it also has the potential for a lot of misinformation about vaccines. “People can certainly find out more about vaccinations, but it’s not always credible, so people are generally left a bit more confused,” says Roe, adding that the aim of the province-wide campaign is to educate and inform parents.
“Kids get vaccinated at two, four, six and 12 months and then a booster at 18 months, and it was the 18-month booster that more parents wouldn’t always get. So the idea was to remind parents that you are not really immune until you get your full series, and these diseases are out there and are not eradicated.”
Bill Downie, vice-president and creative director at Publicis, which won the account at the end of last year, says the ads lead consumers to immunizebc.ca where they can get vaccine facts.
“If things were all well and people were getting their children immunized there would be no need for the campaign. I think it’s a lack of education and having that reminder out there that immunization is the right thing to do.”
