NHS
Myth-busting Vaccine Scepticism
We teamed up with NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly to create a bold, engaging advertising campaign tackling misinformation around the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that prevents a range of cancers.
Challenge
Identify barriers causing vaccine hesitancy amongst Gen Z audiences and overcome them to increase uptake of the HPV vaccination.
Outcomes
Our students were ideally positioned to explore the attitudes of the audience of young people aged 16–24 and they quickly developed insights for the client into common fears and myths that put this group off getting vaccinated.
For the campaign, we flipped those narratives to make audiences smile and gently nudge them to check their HPV vaccine status. The ‘Don’t Overthink It’ campaign featured an upbeat and playful series of posters, audio ads and social media assets that tackled vaccine hesitancy head-on. The campaign gave NHS Cornwall a ready-to-use suite of assets designed by, and for, young people – making the message far more likely to land. The project also provided valuable real-world experience for the student teams.The final creative ran across GP surgeries, Spotify, Instagram, and Snapchat, helping the NHS connect directly with the audience they needed to reach. Our collaboration also helped NHS Cornwall better understand how to communicate with Gen Z in ways that feel relevant and trustworthy in future.
Faculty Team
Dr Cui Su, Joel Ferguson
Student Involved
This partnership provided a fantastic opportunity for us at the NHS to gain deeper insights into young people's perspectives on vaccinations and their approach to health communications. I hope this initiative marks the beginning of ongoing collaboration between Falmouth University and the NHS, paving the way for future projects and mutual learning.
Make change happen
Whether you’re here to shift behaviours or shape your future, let’s start something that makes a difference.