SA Health needed a campaign to drive the uptake of children’s vaccination. Familiar with our thinking on the OPAL health project they knew we could provide an integrated social marketing campaign that they could put to work quickly. We started with a strategy devised around ‘get ready for life’. Targeting both parents and children across all socio-economic demographics and cultural groups.

The on-time vaccination rate for 4-year-olds was just 49%, even though there was a level of acceptance in the population of the benefits of immunisation. Our research with parents of young children uncovered a primary concern that parents didn’t like to inflict pain on their own kids. We developed a pull strategy to increase understanding and drive response, this included encouraging kids to want their booster injections, rather than just pushing parents to act.

We placed story at the heart of the campaign and SA Health were keen to explore this direction but they also needed an identity for the campaign that functioned effectively in all communication channels. A concept that could be built on, be understood across the demographics and all locations. We wrote and designed the book to communicate all the key health messages of the campaign and devised a distinctive look and feel with illustrator Chris Edser. Interaction is the key to good learning and we also developed work sheet graphics, stickers, character masks, posters, infographics to wrap the storybook — everything required for little people to get hands on.

SA Health used the Medicare database to mail the pack to children as they approached their 4^th birthdays. For many children, this would have been the first time they had received a parcel in the post, making it even more precious. The campaign was amplified online, in to schools, GP clinics and into the social networks across the state. The project was a great success – lifting the 4-year-old on-time vaccination rate in the first year from 49% to 81%.