UNICEF COVID-19 VACCINATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Encouraging rural Tamil Nadu families to continue children’s vaccinations during the peak of COVID-19

Using relatable storytelling, animation, and humour-driven communication to spread awareness among young mothers across rural communities.

Challenges & Objectives

/ Project Overview

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, UNICEF identified a major concern across rural Tamil Nadu — many children were missing their regular vaccinations due to fear, uncertainty, and movement restrictions.

UNICEF wanted an innovative awareness campaign that could connect emotionally with young mothers and encourage them to continue timely vaccinations for their children.

Okulus Digital developed a creative concept using the then-trending comedian Abishek Kumar’s popular “Ms. Lakshmi” character in an animated awareness video that was simple, relatable, and easy for rural audiences to connect with.

/ Challenges

Fear among parents about visiting hospitals during COVID-19
Lack of awareness about the importance of regular vaccinations during the pandemic
Communicating serious healthcare information in a simple and engaging manner
Reaching rural audiences with content that felt familiar and trustworthy
Creating high engagement without sounding overly educational or formal

/ Objectives

Encourage mothers to continue regular vaccinations for children
Spread awareness about child healthcare during COVID-19
Deliver important public health messaging in a relatable format
Improve engagement and message retention among rural audiences
Create a campaign that could emotionally connect with families

/ Strategy & Execution

Conceptualised an awareness campaign using humour and storytelling
Used the trending “Ms. Lakshmi” character by comedian Abishek Kumar for relatability
Developed an animated video tailored for rural Tamil Nadu audiences
Simplified healthcare messaging into easy-to-understand communication
Focused on emotional connection, trust, and family-oriented storytelling
Created digital-friendly content suitable for wide social sharing

/ Final Outcome

Result 1: Successfully delivered vaccination awareness messaging during COVID-19
Result 2: Created strong audience engagement through relatable storytelling
Result 3: Simplified an important healthcare message for rural families
Result 4: Increased awareness about continuing regular child vaccinations
Result 5: Developed an innovative campaign approach combining animation, humour, and public awareness