Victoria Just Released A New Vaccination Campaign And Yes, This Is How It’s Done

A new advert out of Victoria encouraging Australians to get vaccinated just dropped today, and boy howdy is it sweet.

The campaign, which doubles as a reminder of the importance of the arts industry, is a far-cry from previous messaging around vaccines. After all, it’s only been a matter of weeks since the release of the NSW government’s hysterical, fear-mongering advert, in which a young woman gasps for breath while lying in a hospital bed.

Rather than trying to spook Australians into getting a vaccine that most can’t get, the Victorian advert centres around the idea of the vaccination being “the performance of a lifetime”, a pun that ties into the artistic theme of the campaign.

Of course, there’s some irony in releasing an advert celebrating an industry that has been left to fend for itself. There is still not ample support for the arts sector in this country — venues are dying, and opportunities to tour are drying up. If the government is serious about its support of the arts, then a mere advertisement won’t cut it: the industry desperately needs more cash flow, and until that happens, the toll will continue to harm the future of performance in this country.

But hey, the advert is at least something. Messages of hope aren’t for nothing, and there’s something endearing about an acknowledgement of how music can be, to quote Mary Oliver, “bread in the pockets of the hungry.”

Watch the advert, which also features a cameo by Tim Minchin, in full here:

#BREAKING: Victoria now has a pretty cool vaccine ad. It’s been produced by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. pic.twitter.com/zLOIgD7W6W

— Eden Gillespie (@edengillespie) July 19, 2021