MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The old saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a billboard?
The creators of a new campaign told FOX13 they wanted to create a message about COVID-19 that was easy to remember and most importantly, hit home.
The new billboards don’t have a thousand words but they have a message that’s crystal clear: 'COVID-19 won’t bluff – Stay home, mane.’
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FOX13 talked to the agency behind the billboards about how this all came together.
“’Stay home, mane’ was already becoming a phrase being used,” said Three(I) Creative Communications president Kenneth Worles, Jr. His marketing agency is behind the message for the campaign.
“Everybody is affected by this and we all need to work together as a community to flatten that curve,” said Worles.
He told FOX13 the reaction has been overwhelming and we saw a little bit of that too. We posted a photo on our FOX13 Memphis Facebook page, and the post got more than 5000 shares in a day.
FOX13 asked Worles if he thinks this campaign will help people really take the CDC’s advice that we have to stay home seriously.
He said, “I think it will hit home, I think as a friend or a family member you just want someone to be straight up and tell you what you need to do to get past it - right?”
The agency is also working with Mane T-Shirts for the campaign. Owner Elliot Sayles said he always wanted the brand to go beyond t-shirts and he said this partnership is doing just that.
Sayles said, “I love the reaction. I hope the reaction moves to people, changing people’s belief system and taking it more serious and not just them taking it serious but encouraging other people to step up and take it serious, a good community effort.”
A community effort that takes everyone staying home, mane!
“We as a community will get through this and we’ll be better when this is over,” said Sayles.
The digital billboards are up for the next two weeks and Three(I) Creative Community Communications said they’re sharing this campaign on social media too.
The digital billboards are located at the following locations:
- 3361 One Place
- 5916 Macon Cove (next to Southwest Community College)
- Ketchum Cv Memphis, TN 38114
- 278 West McLemore
- I-40W @ I-240 Flyover Ramp
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