Sanofi is running a “unique and edgy” campaign to warn older adults about the dangers of catching the flu, teaming up with rapper and actor Ice-T and rolling out a video that takes inspiration from horror and suspense movies.
The campaign got underway Wednesday with the debut of the trailer for The Season, video content that the French drugmaker is calling “this year’s newest thriller.” The video begins with the text “the following preview has been approved for older adult audiences in the U.S.” in the style of the movie rating screen before horror imagery such as a woodland shrouded in fog and a jack-o'-lantern are shown.
Ice-T speaks over the top of the imagery, explaining that “there are warnings about me this time every year.” After saying that some people “think I'm harmless, or that I've gone for good,” lines accompanied by shots of carefree Black seniors, Ice-T breaks into a menacing laugh and says “I’m still here, biding my time” before outlining the risks of complacency.
“They don't know all the harm I can cause, all the complications I can lead to. They can't see me hiding in plain sight like a wolf in sheep's clothing. But I'm more real than any story. I'm the flu. And the only thing I'll say is, get ready for me,” Ice-T concludes. The video ends with text about the risks flu poses to older adults.
Dominika Kovacs, head of Sanofi’s adult vaccine business unit in the U.S., discussed the horror-inflected imagery used in the video, explaining how “this type of imagery becomes more common [in the fall],”
“The weather's getting cooler, you have Halloween around the corner, so it's something that we're hoping will grab attention. The concept of a wolf in sheep's clothing is the analogy we're using to show the fact that flu is lurking,” Kovacs said.
One goal of the campaign is to emphasize that flu can cause 99 problems in older adults, as well as being the cause of an annual U.S. body count that has hit 50,000 in recent memory. Kovacs highlighted data on the increased risk of stroke and heart attack in the weeks after an influenza infection as evidence of the problems flu can cause beyond its direct, immediate effects.
Sanofi selected Ice-T as its collaborator on the campaign because of his “edginess,” recognizable voice and potential to speak to health disparities that cause influenza to disproportionately affect the Black communities. Ice-T rapped about being “prepared to die” during his musical heyday in the early 1990s when lawmakers from the president down branded his lyrics “sick,” but today he’s focused on his health.
“Ice-T’s someone who leads a very active lifestyle and has candidly spoken to the fact that he's trying to remain in his best health for himself, but also for the people around him. He's now 65 years old and is becoming aware that he needs to take care of himself,” Kovacs said.
Sanofi’s focus on reaching people around Ice-T’s age reflects the makeup of its flu vaccine portfolio. The French company sells two products, Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent and Flublok Quadrivalent, that have preferential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations in adults aged 65 years and up.