Pfizer and Ogilvy Launch In-Game Covid-19 Vaccinations

Pfizer Brazil created an in-game Covid-19 vaccination activation that offers gamers a full health bar inside the Grand Theft Auto RolePlay game—if they get at least one dose of any Covid-19 vaccine IRL.

“With more and more people taking the vaccines, we noticed that young millennials and Gen Z’s were not as eager to take the shot, especially the second dose,” says Félix Del Valle, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Brazil. “First, it is difficult to talk to the public about health issues, and second, they don’t feel they are at such a risk as other age groups.”

Ogilvy teamed up with gaming agency Druid to create a virtual Covid-19 vaccination center within Grand Theft Auto RolePlay (GTA RP), specifically in Cidade Alta, Latin America’s biggest GTA RP server.

To score in-game benefits, players begin by getting their characters vaccinated at one of the in-game centers. Next, they post proof of vaccination to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #InGameVaccine. Players need at least one vaccine dose from any pharmaceutical company. Once completed, a special bandage on a character’s arm denotes a full shield bar in the game. 

“Getting the shield bar full is a hard task in Cidade Alta, and that is what they receive—a vaccine shield,” Rafael Figueiredo, writer at Ogilvy Brazil, tells Muse. “The bandage shows others they are already protected in real life and in the game. In real life, we also sent hoodies to influencers to wear in their livestreams. Avatars in the game also receive them as a limited skin.”

The campaign was heavily supported by 25 gaming influencers in Brazil, including Coringa, Babi, Gabe Peixe, Sabsdenada and Piuzinho, who played the mission live on Twitch and Nimo.

“The game mimics real life, so we used OOH media inside the game to spread messages in favor of Covid-19 vaccines and to invite players to the mission,” says Figueiredo. “There were also notifications in the avatar’s cell phones telling them their time to take the vaccine has arrived. And more importantly, the influencers were a key part of the campaign. They are leading by example.”

CREDITS 

Client: Pfizer 

Title: #VacinaInGame 

AD AGENCY
Ad agency: Ogilvy Brazil 
CCO: Félix del Valle 
Executive Creative Director: Marcio Fritzen 
Creative Director: Ricado Sciamarella
Head of Art: Ricardo Leme Lopes  
Copywriter: Rafael Figueiredo (PDQ) 
Art Director: John Bogéa 
Account: Denise Caruso, Priscilla Gonçalves, Jeniffer Leana
Data Research e Insights: Gustavo Arakawa, Michelle Lins 
Planning:: Thais Frazão, Cleber Almeida 
PR: Danubia Paraizo 
RTV: Juliana Henriques 
Client Approval: Lucila Mouro, Milena Ramos, Carlos Augusto Vitti 

GAMER AGENCY
Agency: Druid 
CEO: Claudio Lima 
COO: Evandro Guimarães 
CGO: Bernardo Mendes 
Account: Victoria Pedroso 
Account assistant: Mirella Agnes de Deus Maciel Freitas 
Creative team: Marlon Zanatti e Ayrton Bená 
Influencer Manager: Isabella Antunes 
Influencer Manager assistant: Paulo Gomes, Alan Wentz, Jennifer Passos 
Sales: Gabriel Faustino  

GAME PRODUCER  
Company: Outplay Co.
CEO: Paulo Benetti 
COO: Ronaldo Paranhos 
Operations Director: Ana Carolina Rodrigues 
In-Game Project Manager: Patriccia Landim 
Technical coordinator: Mateus Silva 
Technical coordinator assistant: Igor Silva 
Cidade Alta Staff: 
Renan – Renan Scafuro Silva 
SHIRA – Edson Souza da Silva 

TRACKING AND DATA 
Agency: TAGCOM 
Operations: Enio Munarim Junior 
Tracking: Paula Gomes 

Pharmacovigilance:
– Ananda Ferreira
– Geovanna Araújo
– Agatha Graeser
– Maryanna Letícia