Friday 5 June 2020 2:24pm
A campaign highlighting the role Otago's academics and medical experts have played in shaping New Zealand's response to COVID-19 will be released this weekend.
Otago and COVID-19: Playing our part was created by Rainger & Rolfe for Marketing Services. It focuses on the vital need for information through this extraordinary time, and Otago's part in providing this.
It features a small selection of the many Otago academics who are contributing, including Professors David Murdoch, Sir David Skegg, Richard Blaikie, Miguel Quinones-Mateu and Michael Baker, as well as Dr Ayesha Verrall and Lesley Gray.
"New Zealanders and our government turned to Otago in a time of need and our academics stepped up with great courage and leadership. They were truly incredible."
The Director of Marketing Services Todd Gordon says COVID-19 has had an impact on each and every one of us, and explains that it didn't feel right for the University to move straight into its usual undergraduate recruitment campaign without first acknowledging pandemic and the way Otago academics, staff and students have played their part alongside the rest of New Zealand.
“One of our values is mahi tahi and I see this video as a great representation of that,” he says. “This was a big collaborative effort between our academics, Marketing and Communications. Seeing our academics lead the COVID-19 conversation throughout lockdown was a huge source of pride for me personally and I'm sure all staff at Otago.
“New Zealanders and our government turned to Otago in a time of need and our academics stepped up with great courage and leadership. They were truly incredible. From a Marketing and Communications perspective is it satisfying to tell that story and acknowledge what they are doing.”
The 60 second and 30 second versions of the video will be released this Sunday evening on TV, TV On Demand and YouTube.
Mr Gordon says the team who worked on this project should be very proud with what they have achieved.
“It was their idea. And they had the vision and the determination to pull it together in just three weeks,” he says.
“Special thanks to Shelley Winsor, Vicki Roach, Claudia Flaws and Mark Hathaway. And thank you to our wonderful academics that supported the project. We hope you all enjoy it.”