Using creativity to fight COVID-19

While we are all safely waiting for our life to get back to normal and thinking about how we can do our part in this fight against COVID-19, the creative team at NATIONAL Montreal wanted to give back by coming up with a unique, universal message to help stop the spread of COVID-19, in response to the United Nations’ global call out to creatives.

The United Nations launched an unprecedented initiative inviting designers and artists from around the world to translate critical public health messages into work that will engage and inform people across different cultures, languages, communities and platforms.

Submissions had to capture one of the United Nations’ 6 key messages on coronavirus awareness (personal hygiene, social distancing, symptom detection, myth busting, community behaviour and donations programs). The chosen designs are set to become accessible to supporting media, brands, influencers, etc. around the world, who can use the work across their platforms to help flatten the curve and inform communities who are still able to avoid an outbreak.

“We are in an unprecedented situation and the normal rules no longer apply. We cannot resort to the usual tools in such unusual times. The creativity of the response must match the unique nature of the crisis – and the magnitude of the response must match its scale.” —UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Our team had 6 days to come up with a design that would fit the brief perfectly—which was a challenge in itself. With the help from our colleagues in Creative Strategy and Brand Positioning, we created The Greeting Guide: Worldwide tips on distance greetings. Inspired by different cultures and traditions from around the world, the guide presents 6 ways to politely say “hello” without any physical contact. Based on the rainbow colour scheme that evokes hope and unity, this greeting guide reinforces the idea that you can connect with people in a meaningful way, while respecting the rules of social distancing.

This pandemic is showing us every day that together, we can positively influence the people around us and our community. It is important to remember that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

Click here to have a look at the selected projects.

Special thanks to the creative team in Montreal who contributed to this project:

• Jean-Francis Généreux
• Carlos-David Donoso
• Thomas Gobeil
• Michel Lacroix
• Léa Blanchet
• Vincent Gagnon
• Raphaele Bourgault
• Marie-Ève Renaud

——— Pascale Larouche is a former Senior Consultant at NATIONAL Public Relations