WASHINGTON — Wonder Woman, Aquaman, "Casablanca's" Rick Blaine, Harley Quinn and many more fan-favorite fictional characters are coming together in a new public service announcement to encourage Americans to wear a mask amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ad Council on Wednesday said it partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and WarnerMedia to launch a new PSA featuring Warner Bros.’ most famous film franchises.
The PSA shows clips from the movies "Austin Powers in Goldmember," "Casablanca," "Creed," "Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Part 2," "IT," "The Joker," "Justice League," "The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Matrix," "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Wonder Woman." Every character can be seen wearing a mask, and it's jam-packed in a quick 30-second spot.
"Let's get back to doing our favorite things," the ad says in between scenes from movies where masks have been edited in. "Whatever that might be, slow the spread! Mask up America."
The goal of the ad is to stress the importance of Americans continuing to wear a face mask to protect themselves and others, and help stop the spread of the virus.
“We are so grateful to the WarnerMedia team for their commitment to educating Americans on the importance of wearing a face mask to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19,” said President & CEO of the Ad Council Lisa Sherman. “We know that face masks continue to be one of the most effective ways we can protect ourselves against the virus and we’re truly grateful to Warner for lending their talent and iconic films to support to this critical message.”
According to data projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) on Jan. 27, if 95% of all Americans wore a mask, nearly 22,000 lives could be saved by May 2021.
The CDC has recommended Americans wear masks in public settings, at events, gathering and anywhere someone might be around other people. It found that cloth face coverings can help reduce the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 471,000 people in the U.S. in the past year, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
The Ad Council said the PSA will air primarily across the WarnerMedia and AT&T video ecosystem. However, it has also received donated air and media time across the United States.
“WarnerMedia is proud to help educate and inform our fans about the importance of mask wearing during this pandemic. Wearing a mask is an effective way to protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19," said Dennis Williams, SVP, Corporate Social Responsibility, WarnerMedia.
