Dutch Coronavirus Prevention Campaign Made by Hundreds of People from Their Own Homes

Today sees the launch of the Dutch government’s campaign ‘Only Together’. Developed by advertising agency Roorda in collaboration with BKB and produced by HALAL, the film aims to give the Dutch clarity surrounding the most recent guidelines and regulations regarding Covid-19 (Corona) prevention. The campaign is part of a wider informational push contributing to limiting the reach and spread of the virus, and combating confusion across the nation.

Joeri Jansen, Creative Director, Roorda said: “In addition to the urgent need to provide a clear message about the current guidelines and regulations, the client wanted to encourage a sense of togetherness. This spirit is the red-thread throughout all spontaneous initiatives popping up across the country, and has been highlighted by the prime minister himself. The aim of the campaign was therefore bigger than just being informative; but to also motivate people at home to face these challenging times together. Being home alone can feel lonely, but since we’re all home alone together it feels like a shared effort. That contrast is beautiful, and formed the core of the campaign. It’s reflected throughout, for instance, in the beginning you see people following the regulations alone, and at the end you see everyone doing it ‘together’.”

The work was realised on a tight timeframe with the starting point of utilising user-generated content. 24-hours from concept, research and casting to receiving more than 600 contributions from homes all over the country. The execution echoes the spirit of togetherness at the core of the campaign; directed by Sam de Jong and hundreds of individuals in their homes.

Gijs Determeijer (Partner & Executive Producer, HALAL), commented: “We put our hearts into the ‘casting’, research and making sure there was a super clear brief to share with everyone at home. I honestly feel like people were waiting to contribute to something like this, if not we would have never been able to make this campaign in such a short amount of time. So in that sense the process resonates with the overall message of ‘Only Together’. The same goes for the whole team who worked day and night for 48-hours to pull this off. It was an honour to make this in true collaboration with all the people who’re staying inside.”