ALEXANDRIA, Va.—NACS is supporting the Veterans Coalition for Vaccination (VCV)—formed earlier this year with seven leading veterans organizations—to help promote a nationwide public service announcement (PSA) campaign to encourage full vaccination and help end to the COVID-19 crisis.
The “Call to Arms” campaign messaging blends iconic imagery with a humorous twist to enlist “the tatted, the toned and the sun-deprived” arms and encourage all Americans to get vaccinated because “better times are within arm’s reach.” The ads end with a simple and direct call to action: “Don’t wait. Vaccinate.”
NACS is sharing some of the images and messages on its social media platforms. NACS members can also post the assets with #ThisIsOurShot, a play on the popular song from Hamilton.
The campaign is one deliverable from the Veterans Coalition for Vaccination (VCV), which is aiding local and state officials with COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the United States. The participating veteran organizations are working toward the common goal of ensuring each American who wants the vaccine has equitable access to it.
“Veterans took an oath to serve their country and are now finding impactful ways to continue our service at home. Today, our calling is to aid in vaccination efforts. Bringing together veterans’ organizations to create a first-of-its-kind coalition to assist in vaccine distribution will help our communities recover and rebuild from the pandemic,” said Art delaCruz, a founding member of the VCV and president and COO of Team Rubicon.
“Our industry supports everyday heroes like veterans, and this campaign moves forward important logistical issues and messaging that can help us fight the pandemic,” said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard, adding that 65% of NACS retail members are incentivizing employees to get vaccinations.
“Veterans are among one of the most trusted populations in the United States, and through the Veterans Coalition for Vaccination we are able to bring together these leading veterans’ organizations to build trust for the nationwide vaccination effort,” said Lorey Zlotnick, chief marketing officer at Team Rubicon. “We are proud to launch a campaign that is visually representative of the communities we serve and reaffirms the VCV’s priority and commitment to equitable vaccine distribution. We invite you to ‘roll up your sleeves’ and help us defeat this virus.”
VCV’s members include Team Rubicon, Wounded Warrior Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Student Veterans of America (SVA), Team Red, White & Blue, The Mission Continues and the Travis Manion Foundation.
NACS retailer and supplier members interested in reaching out to one of these groups to discuss strategic partnerships should contact Jeff Lenard.
To read more about how convenience retailers and employees have worked to support their communities by working on the front lines during the pandemic, be sure to check out “Look for the Heroes” in NACS Magazine.