Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, humans have developed certain habits, such as excessive hand-washing (85 percent of people reported washing their hands or using sanitizer more often than before), keeping a distance from one another (61 percent reported following social distancing guidelines), or stockpiling essentials, such as food or water. The latter quickly transformed into panic buying. We are now all hoarders. But the worst is that we collect personal protective equipment (PPE) and we don’t even know how to properly use it. Therefore, we put the lives of front-liners at risk of infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a worldwide shortage of PPEs, meaning that front-liners don’t have a shield to protect themselves against the infection. Yet, BBDO Guerrero is here to address the lack of PPE for this community, giving them a helping hand on how to create their own equipment. Called #CommunityShields, the initiative is basically a DIY project developed to raise awareness on the lack of proper protection for doctors, delivery guys, market vendors, garbage collectors, neighborhood bakers, community watchmen, and the like.
The idea belongs to the Philippine Chamber of Business and Professionals, Shanghai founder Carol Ong, and celebrity movie director Marlon Rivera. At the foundation of the project lies the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation of wearing face masks, particularly in areas of significant community-based transmission (such as grocery stores and pharmacies) where the front-liners are based. This campaign was born to empower locals in the Philippines to make face shields whilst at home to support the front-liners of their local communities.
BBDO Guerrero gives the start: To encourage more people to join the initiative and transform their home into factories for face shields, the agency designed a series of posters that feature some tips on how to make masks. Shared via existing distribution networks and in print, as well as on social platforms, the illustrations’ main goal is to teach people to make protective equipment using what the materials they can find at home, such as plastic book covers, hats, and soda bottles.
Carol Ong says: “Community front-liners can protect, or can infect entire neighborhoods. But how many are protected by face shields? We want to enable communities to shield their own front-liners; and be part of the solution. We urge makers to post #CommunityShields and their creations on social media, to consolidate all ideas in one easy search.”
BBDO Guerrero’s Creative Chairman, David Guerrero adds: “Communication can play a critical role at this time. Educating and inspiring people to help with what they can do from their homes can help provide valuable aid to our front-liners who continuously risk their lives for the benefit of the entire community.”
You can find the project on both Facebook and Instagram. Also, you can post your DIY mask and inspire others to do the same for them by sharing photos accompanied by the #CommunityShields hashtag.
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