Pope Francis Joins The Ad Council and COVID Collaborative Campaign To Inspire Confidence In Vaccines

To continue increasing confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines, specifically in communities disproportionately affected by the virus, the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative rolled out this PSA featuring Pope Francis and six Cardinals and Archbishops from North, Central and South America. Representing the first ever Ad Council campaign designed for and distributed to a global audience, messaging in the video is delivered in English, Spanish and Portuguese to reach communities worldwide, reminding viewers that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and save lives. The new creative, made in cooperation with the Vatican’s Dicastery for Integral Human Development, is a part of the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s groundbreaking COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative.

“Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19,” Pope Francis says in the PSA. “Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love. I pray to God that each one of us can make his or her own small gesture of love, no matter how small, love is always grand.”

Recent data shows that the United States has more progress to make with COVID-19 vaccinations in the country. Currently 72% of the American adult population and 67% of Hispanic adults have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose. Worldwide, COVID-19 cases are on the rise, especially across North, Central and South America in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Peru where rates of individuals fully vaccinated range from only 5.5% (Honduras) to 30% (El Salvador). Though access to vaccines continues to be a challenge, confidence in the vaccines also presents a hurdle.

To reach this global audience and instill confidence in the vaccines as part of their broader “It’s Up To You” campaign, the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative partnered on this PSA with His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, Archbishop José Horacio Gomez Velasco (Los Angeles), Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes (Mexico City), Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga (Tegucigalpa, Honduras), Cardinal Cláudio Hummes (Sao Paolo, Brazil), Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez (San Salvador, El Salvador) and Archbishop Héctor Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte (Trujillo, Perú).

“The role of trusted messengers to educate and inspire their networks is undeniable – and has been a core element of our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative since the beginning,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “To the world’s billion-plus Catholics, the Pope is one of the most trusted messengers and holds unparalleled influence. We are extremely grateful to him and the Cardinals and Archbishops for lending their voices and platforms to help people across the globe feel more confident in the vaccines.”