CDC Zombie Apocalypse: The Sequel

 

Photo Credit CDC

 

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Last May in The CDC And The Zombie Apocalypse, I wrote about a very clever (and effective) preparedness essay written by Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan who told us that if we are prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse . . . we’re pretty much prepared for anything.

 

Once the news of a `zombie’ blog appearing on the CDC site went viral on Twitter, the number of visitors to the Public Health Matters Blog  temporarily overwhelmed their server.

 

Following Hollywood’s lead, CDC has now unleashed a sequel to this highly effective campaign, with a 2-part Graphic Novel that preaches preparedness, and a number of tie-in posters and even T-Shirts that you can purchase.

 

All are designed to drive home the importance of Getting a kit, Making a plan, and Being prepared!

 

 

But I’ll let the CDC explain:

 

Zombie Novella

 

CDC has a fun new way of teaching the importance of emergency preparedness. Our new graphic novel, "Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic" demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies.

 

Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes. Click on the images below to view the novella. Transcripts of each chapter are provided below each chapter thumbnail.

GO TO THE ZOMBIE PREPAREDNESS PAGE

Zombie Products

Posters

It can be tough to get people thinking about emergency preparedness before disaster strikes. We've created these zombie posters to spark some attention and get people involved before it's too late.

Novella

Looking for an entertaining way to introduce emergency preparedness? Check out our graphic novella which uses the idea of a zombie apocalypse to demonstrate the importance of preparedness. Included is a personal preparedness checklist so you can take action once you're done reading.

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The CDC’s Zombies Go Viral

 

 

# 5562

 

 

On Tuesday in The CDC And The Zombie Apocalypse, I wrote about a very clever (and effective) preparedness essay written by Rear Admiral Ali S. Khan who told us that if we are prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse . . . we’re pretty much prepared for anything.

 

Once the news of a `zombie’ blog appearing on the CDC site went viral on Twitter, the number of visitors to the Public Health Matters Blog  temporarily overwhelmed their server.

 

 

Today, I see the CDC has unveiled a series of `Zombie’ widgets and badges (I’ve one posted on my sidebar) to tie in with that blog.   You can grab them from the Emergency Preparedness and Response social media page.

 

Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse

Buttons and Badges

Buttons and badges share health messages and information about campaigns and causes online. These graphic elements can be posted to any web site, blog, social networking profile, or email signature and link users to more information.

 

 

 

I’m very pleased to see that more and more, government agencies are really starting to `get it’, when it comes to tapping into the power of the `new media’.

 

Craig Fugate, director of FEMA, often incorporates gentle humor in his Twitter posts. By doing so, his `catchy’ messages are more likely to be retweeted by his followers, and remembered by the public. 

 

This week’s zombie post from the CDC illustrates that the use of popular culture, a bit of whimsy, and a conversational tone (something sadly lacking in a lot of `official blogs’) can be very effective in getting a message out.

 

Particularly to hard-to-reach audiences like teenagers and young adults.

 

Hopefully the success of this zombie campaign will inspire other governmental agencies to look at ways to get their messages out in unconventional formats.

 

In the meantime, kudos go to the CDC, HHS, and FEMA for being willing to try something bold and just a tiny bit controversial.

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