COVID-19 is something we’ve all experienced, yet everyone has experienced a different version of it.

This insight led us to choose the song “I’ll Be Seeing You” as the anthem for our campaign.

It’s a classic American song that everyone knows, yet it’s been recorded by dozens of musicians in different genres and styles. This allowed us to use different versions of the song for the different stories of human connection we want to tell while maintaining a universal message of hope and human connection throughout.

Because it became politicized, 70% of Americans were not sure or not willing to take the Covid- 19 vaccines. For those with vaccine-hesitancy, the traditional approach of simply telling them to get vaccinated sounded like the enemy was talking down to them, plus information and facts weren’t cutting through either, because they only listened to what they wanted.

Research showed in order to get them to reconsider we had to:

1) Respect their hesitancy;

2) Remind them of pre-covid moments, the human connection we crave so much;

3) Show them the vaccine was the way they could go back to those moments, while protecting the people they loved

Our task: reach the 70% of the population who weren’t as definitive in their desire to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and build confidence and vaccination uptake.

“It’s Up To You” is a campaign that is all about choice.

Certainly, vaccine-hesitant Americans felt that they deserved to have the choice when deciding to put a new medication for a new virus in their bodies. They also felt entitled to having that choice be respected by others. And we aimed to respect that belief among those who were pro-vaccine, and those who were anti-vaccine.

The way we encouraged them to get the vaccine was to show them the moments they missed and tell them that now it’s up to you to get back to those moments.

The campaign simply exposes the impact of their choices. Sure, there’s the choice of putting a foreign substance in their body, but there’s also the choice of seeing Grandma again, the choice of being able to go to a concert again, a sporting event, drink a beer with friends, etc.

By now, we’ve all heard the goal, the science, the thresholds and the realities of achieving ‘herd immunity’ – the illusive “finish line” in the year plus battle against COVID-19. Unfortunately, the name ‘herd immunity’ suggests that there exists an all-in-this-together mentality among people within the country, that we would all line up and take the vaccine to “do our part, for the greater good.”

However, research indicated that the most motivating statement among the general public was: “getting the vaccine will protect the people close to me who I love.” In other words, getting vaccinated was more about self-preservation than it was about the greater good.

So, we set out to do several things in our communications: appeal to their desire to protect their loved ones. Respect their independence. Accept their reluctance. Remind them of moments pre-COVID.

We turned "I'll Be Seeing You’ into the anthem of the campaign so entertainers, tech partners and even brands could remind people of the moments they crave in ways that only they could say while still being part of a unified movement.

Billie Holiday's melancholic version for the story of a grandmother reuniting with grandchildren by the Ad Council

Willie Nelson’s new version for an optimistic take on sports coming back — in partnership with13 major sports leagues.

Top country singers for the return of live music — in partnership with the American Country Music Association.

Sesame Street’s whimsical version for the return of play dates

Frank Sinatra’s version to celebrate the comeback of hugs — in partnership with ABC

Jimmy Durante’s version to invite people to have a beer together — in partnership with Budweiser

This open-source campaign allowed over 300 partners in entertainment and tech to join in.

The idea raised $500 million dollars in donated media and became the largest public service campaign in American history.

It gathered the participation of more than 300 partners in entertainment, news, tech and even four former presidents (Obama, Bush Clinton and Carter who recorded their own commercial to support the cause).

The idea helped the entire marketing ecosystem (brands, publishers and tech) move together, fast and coordinated under the same strategy.

We also have surpassed 1 million visitors to the website (GetVaccineAnswers.org) and know that of people who come to the site with hesitancy, more than 60% are leaving with more confidence based on the answers they are receiving.

Between December 2020 and the point when the vaccines were available for most, hesitation had already dropped 42%.