Regarding the UK gov's new Covid campaign (“Act like you've got the virus”), I was asked on @SkyNews yesterday if “there is a problem with compliance now in terms of people adhering ... is the message is clear enough?”

Preparing took me down messaging rabbit holes.

🧵

2. On Friday night, to prepare for the interview, I duly looked at @DHSCgovuk's campaign.

Prof Whitty speaks to camera: “We must all stay home. If it is essential to go out, remember wash your hands, cover your face indoors, and keep your distance from others.”

3. The new campaign combines March 2020's strap-line – “Stay Home>Protect the NHS>Save Lives” with new messages (e.g., about the new variant).

“We all NEED” (below) is not the same as Whitty's “We MUST” - or the very clear "You MUST stay at home" text message from March 2020.

4. While looking online for the new campaign, I found this Telegraph description.

In fact, I saw this *before* the DHSC one.

I got confused since the words appeared in messaging from the first lockdown and I couldn't see them in the Whitty video.

5. Among many negative replies under the Telegraph tweet was the criticism that the 'new' campaign is “too late”, “MORE fear”; a “3 phrase mantra AGAIN”, “that ship has sailed”, “ANOTHER waste of money” – but apparently directed at the wrong campaign.