Hobbits, superheroes and other icons encourage America to “mask up”

Frodo Baggins, Wonder Woman, Neo from The Matrix and Rick from Casablanca all don masks to get the word out as America starts rolling out coronavirus vaccines.

At long last, the US government is rolling out vaccines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With any luck, that means things will be back to normal(ish) sometime this year, with people able to go in public without worrying unduly about contracting or spreading the virus.

But there’s still a ways to go, and in the meantime research from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation continues to show that wearing a mask is one of the easiest ways to prevent spread. To that end, WarnerMedia has teamed with the Ad Council and the CDC to create a new spot featuring iconic characters from Warner Bros. movies and TV shows — Neo from The Matrix, the Hobbits from The Lord of the Rings, a bunch of DC superheroes, even the leads from Casablanca, etc — masking up. Check it out:

The spot is part of the Ad Council’s wider “Mask Up America” initiative. “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 Ad Council president and CEO 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.”

Dennis Williams, the SVP of Corporate Social Responsibility over at WarnerMedia, is also into it. “WarnerMedia is proud to help educate and inform our fans about the importance of mask wearing during this pandemic,” he said. “Wearing a mask is an effective way to protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19. We hope that by seeing some of our favorite heroes and characters masked up, our fans will follow suit. Mask wearing is a simple step we all can take to show up and support our communities during this difficult time.”

The spot, which was made pro-bono by WarnerMedia, will air throughout the WarnerMedia ecosystem, so expect to see it pop up on HBO Max. It’ll also air in donated media time and space throughout the country.

This is a fun idea. I wonder if other studios will volunteer their characters as well; I’m sure the Ad Council would love to get the Marvel and Star Wars crews in some masks.

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h/t Deadline