President, Keith Weed, urges industry to join ‘Enjoy Summer Safely’ coalition

“NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL BRANDS TO HELP MAINSTREAM VITAL PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGES”

August 3, 2020, London, UK: The Advertising Association’s President Keith Weed has called upon companies across the advertising industry to look at how they can support the new ‘Enjoy Summer Safely’ campaign by joining a coalition of partners. The campaign already has the backing of over 30 brands including O2, Carex and Deliveroo, who are all adopting the critical public health messages required to achieve a safer easing of the lockdown through their own advertising campaigns. The call for action comes following the Advertising Association’s annual President’s Reception where a specially recorded film was made featuring the President, along with Chair, Philippa Brown and Chief Executive, Stephen Woodford which is now available to view here.

All companies with advertising campaigns that can be evolved to include key messaging around ‘Enjoy Summer Safely’ are encouraged to contact the Partnerships team at the COVID-19 communications hub, to join the partner coalition. The campaign has been designed to work with partners from sectors including finance, retail, telecoms, hospitality, accommodation and manufacturers of household brands. Partners will be provided with a campaign lock-up, messaging to build into communications the essential behaviours to re-engage safely including social distancing, handwashing, face coverings, surface cleaning and customer logging as well as campaign resources on brands’ own channels.

Keith Weed, President, Advertising Association, said: “We launched our new mission in at the start of the year to show how responsible advertising can make a real positive contribution to the people, society, businesses and the economy of the UK. COVID-19 brought that importance into stark relief and the support from brands during lockdown to reinforce messages like ‘Stay Home’ was brilliant. We need to do exactly the same thing now to help rebuild consumer confidence as the lockdown eases. Now is the time for all brands to help mainstream vital public health messages by joining this coalition.”

Anybody interested in joining the Enjoy Summer Safely Coalition should contact:

Helen Hampton, Deputy Director – Partnerships: helen.hampton@phe.gov.uk

Jane Asscher, Strategic Advisor – Partnerships: jane.asscher@23red.com

The Advertising Association Council, led by Keith Weed, set out a new responsibility agenda for 2020, following the launch in January of the association’s new mission: to promote the role and rights of responsible advertising and its value to people, society, businesses and the economy.