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Ford launches a public health campaign on New Year’s Day, urging Americans to ‘keep protecting each other’ by wearing masks and taking other steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 until vaccines become widely available.
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To encourage Americans to #FinishStrong, the automaker teamed up with filmmaker Peter Berg and award-winning actor Bryan Cranston for a 30-second ad that airs during the first week of 2021.
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Instead of preaching to consumers or ‘using fear as a motivator’, Ford said the commercial portraits use frontline workers and people affected by the pandemic in an effort to appeal to Americans’ shared sense of patriotism and what is right. ‘
At one scene, a 68-year-old man from Kansas City, who hit COVID-19 on and off a ventilator after 20 days, leaves the hospital in his wheelchair with doctors and nurses cheering him on.
For Berg, it was ‘critical’ to highlight the strength and spirit of the country and provide inspiration during this difficult time.
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“People are tired, beaten, and it will be easy to let our guard down now,” he said. ‘But we must keep fighting for each other; we are almost there. ‘
If Americans continue to follow mitigation protocols outlined by federal health officials as well as state and local governments, more than 500,000 lives could be saved, Ford said, citing officials from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a research center for Health at the University of Washington.
“With the start of 2021, we wanted to inspire Americans to come together and save lives until the vaccines come in numbers. We need to finish strong,” Berg added.
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The spot is expected during the Citrus Bowl on ABC and the Peach, Rose and Sugar pickups on ESPN on Jan. 1, and during Fox NFL games on Jan. 3.
The ad campaign is an indication of Ford’s recent effort to support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The automaker became one of the first manufacturers in April to donate to the making of masks and face shields for health professionals in the foreground.
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Ford has already made 55 million masks and plans to make more than 100 million masks by mid-2021.