United Nations Global Calls on Creatives To Help Stop the Spread of COVID-19

The United Nations is inviting creatives to produce work that captures one of the coronavirus key messages – personal hygiene, physical distancing, know the symptoms, kindness contagion, myth busting, or do more, donate – using any creative medium. A minimum of 10 UN-selected submissions will be visible on a microsite and accessible to everyone around the world to share and help stop the spread of COVID-19.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) leads and coordinates the global health response to coronavirus, the UN has issued its first open brief to creatives around the world. Their call to arms asks for help in translating critical public health messages “into work that will engage and inform people across different cultures, languages, communities, and platforms.”

"You have the power to change the world," the 19-page brief states. “It is not too late. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Together, we can save lives, protect resources, and care for each other.” Since the winning submissions will be disseminated widely, users will be asked to credit the work’s creator, but this cannot be guaranteed, according to the brief.  

"The creativity of the response must match the unique nature of the crisis," said United Nations secretary-general António Guterres, "and the magnitude of the response must match its scale." Although the campaign aims to ensure all countries are ready to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic, it’s especially targeting communities who can still avoid or minimize their exposure to the virus.

To submit an entry, share your work on social, tag @WHO @UN @UnitedNations @Talenthouse and use the hashtags: #CovidOpenBrief #UNCovid19Brief #FlattenTheCurve #SafeHands #AloneTogether #ViralKindness #StopTheSpread #Coronavirus #Covid19. For more specific guidelines and a list of dos and don’ts, visit the Talenthouse Portal.