NCC ‘Stop the Scroll’

British teenagers are walking ad-blockers, and just 6% of Gen-Z trust large institutions (versus 60% of older generations). But at the height of the pandemic, Norfolk County Council wanted to reach young people in Norfolk and promote Covid-safe behaviour – to find a vehicle for ‘Hands, Face, Space’ that young people noticed, paid attention to, and took on board. 

There were three simple components to our strategy. 

• To reach them we used super short format ads across social in high frequency in an attempt to drive as many impressions as possible.

• To hold attention we leant heavily on the most disruptive elements of youth culture – thrashy music, high contrast colours, and fast paced animation – this was about getting them to engage.

• To resonate we tapped into Gen-Z’s strong sense of social responsibility, flipping the message to place the emphasis on protecting other people. We made two short films (one about handwashing, the other about social distancing), that told simple stories of young people spreading the virus without being sick themselves.

Communication was one of the most critical weapons in the fight against Coronavirus – and most high profile. But maintaining salience without fatiguing audiences over such a long period of time is extremely difficult – and even before that, you have to reach them in the first place.

And with young people, that’s easier said than done.

Research suggested that young people were more likely than any age group to be ignoring preventative measures. In part because they were more likely to be bored, frustrated and anxious, and in part because they are more likely to be cynical about official communication; British teenagers are walking ad-blockers.

After six weeks the campaign had driven c. 1 million impressions, with an average view-through-rate of 69%, and an average view completion rate of 13%. The work was awarded Gold at the International Content Marketing Awards 2022 for Best Use of Illustration.