Here's what coronavirus PSAs look like around the world
Designers across the globe have jumped into action this year to create public service announcements related to the coronavirus crisis. From imaginative posters suitable for framing to more utilitarian visual guides for best practices, the mission of this visual communication is the same no matter the language: encouraging people to wash their hands, cover their coughs, and stay home.
This article will be a living document, updated with new images to show how designers around the world are responding to an unprecedented public health crisis. If you see more examples, please tag or DM me on Twitter or Instagram, or reach me at hunter@yellozine.com.
United States
Credit: CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a visual style guide for its COVID-19 resources that uses a color palette with turquoise and orange as well as a coronavirus illustration made by CDC’s medical illustrators. You can read more about the CDC’s COVID-19 response branding in the April 7 issue of the Yello newsletter.
Credit: CDC
The CDC also has general posters about the importance of hand washing, including one that pays homage to British World War II-era “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters.
Oregon
Credit: Stay Home, Save Lives
Oregon’s “Stay Home, Save Lives” campaign doesn’t mince words. Black all-caps lettering against a yellow background is used to spell out messages like “Don’t Accidentally Kill Someone.” The campaign was produced as part of a public-private partnership between the Oregon Health Authority and ad agency Wieden+Kennedy.
Ohio
The Ohio Department of Health released an ad that used mouse traps and ping pong balls to illustrate the importance of physical distancing.
Viral Art Project
Credit: Ida Woldemichael, Ben Ostrower, Jacob Rosenburg, Christian Rincon/Viral Art Project
The Viral Art Project is an online gallery of downloadable posters launched by Wide Eye, Throughline Collaborative, the Soze Foundation, and artist Mark Kelner. Some of the posters pay tribute to historical wartime posters.
Credit: Mark Goldwell, Chelsea Goldwell, David Hadley, Camilo Caffi/Viral Art Project
The project has an open call for submissions and suggests posters take on topics around not just public health, but supporting health workers, tolerance, valuing human life over capital, caring for one another, and mental health. The project links to a GoFundMe for artists and activists whose work has been impacted by the pandemic.
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Louisiana
Credit: @LamarOOH/Twitter
Louisiana-based outdoor advertising company Lamar Advertising is using its billboards to share a message from the state government to stay home.
Baltimore, Maryland
Credit: Baltimore City of Health Department/Facebook
The Baltimore City Health Department uses yellow and orange in its social graphics, including one that illustrates the dangers of asymptomatic people unwittingly spreading the disease, and another that uses Beyoncé lyrics.
Leon County, Florida
Credit: @LeonCounty/Twitter
Because of course. Leon County, Florida, posted a social graphic encouraging physical distancing of one alligator apart.
Mexico
Credit: Government of Mexico
Mexico has created a number of cartoon ads, including some that star a super hero character named Susana Distancia.
Canada
Credit: @GovCanHealth/@GouvCanSante/Twitter
Canada produces its materials in English and French, like these “Stay home. Save lives.” graphics.
Credit: @GovCanHealth/Twitter
Many of their graphics feature a blue illustration of the coronavirus in the top corner.
Yukon
The Canadian territory of Yukon used caribou and huskies to demonstrate physical distancing.
France
Credit: @emmanuelmacron/Instagram
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office has gone with bold red, white, and blue typographic messages like “sauvez des vies restez chez vous,” or “save lives stay at home,” and “merci” for those working during the crisis.
Japan
Credit: Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare
Japanese posters instruct people to avoid the “three Cs”: 1. Closed spaces with poor ventilation, 2. Crowded places with many people nearby, and 3. Close-contact settings such as close-range conversations, according to English versions of their posters.
Australia
Credit: Australian Government Department of Health
The Australian government uses green in posters with information for travelers coming from China.
Credit: @healthgovau/Twitter
The majority of their graphics, however, use bright colors and outline illustrations.
Guatemala
Credit: @GuatemalaGob/Twitter
Among the Guatemalan government’s social posts are graphics with typography that references Netflix and Star Wars to encourage people to “quédate en casa,” or stay at home.
Ethiopia
Credit: @FMoHealth/Twitter
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health uses a warning sign with an exclamation point covered in yellow coronavirus icons.
United Kingdom
Credit: UK Prime Minister/Facebook
Some of the messaging in the United Kingdom focuses on the why behind staying home: to protect the NHS — or National Health Services, the country’s public healthcare system — and save lives.
The NHS also has an “Every Mind Matters” campaign that focuses on mental health and uses a yellow brain logo.
India
Credit: Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
In India, the government released guides for how to make masks. The guides were translated into 16 different languages.
Memphis, Tennessee
Credit: @weare3i/Instagram
The Memphis creative agency Three(I) put up digital billboards in five spots around town targeting youth with the phrase “Covid-19 won’t bluff. Stay home mane.”
Albania
Credit: Ministry e Shëndetësisë the Mbrojtjes Sociale/Facebook
No one has a scarier coronavirus graphic than Albania’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection, but thankfully most of their visual communication is far less spooky.
Israel
In Israel, the government uses bright colored illustrations of the virus for some graphics, including these about a Ministry of Health app that notifies users about exposure to a verified patient and online broadcast for children.
Italy
Credit: Ministero della Salute/Facebook
The Italian Ministry of Health has a thing for pink in many of its graphics, including some that warn against false information and “fake news.” “Ascolta il parere degli esperti, non quell delle bufale,” or listen to the opinion of the experts, not that of the hoaxes.
Brazil
Credit: Ministério da Saúde/Faceook
In Brazil, the Ministry of Health uses a green mucus-like glob image to illustrate the coronavirus.
Los Angeles County
Credit: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health/Facebook
In L.A., public health officials have used a turquoise and yellow color scheme that compliments many of the CDC’s graphics.
Egypt
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has reposted graphics from the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean regional office. They focus on mental health and suggest people reach out to friends and family, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and avoid smoking, alcohol, or other drugs to deal with emotions.
Montana
Credit: Governor Steve Bullock/Facebook
Because men are less likely than women to take health precautions seriously, it’s important to tailor public health messaging to them, especially during a pandemic. These social graphics encouraging men to wear face coverings were shared by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D). They compare mask wearing for the purpose of preventing the spread of the virus to wearing face coverings for traditionally masculine activities, like fishing and hunting.
This story has been updated with additional public service announcements.