Boston University files trademark for ‘(Expletive) It Won’t Cut It’ coronavirus public health campaign
Boston University’s recent trademark filing for a student-run public health campaign amid the coronavirus pandemic is certainly grabbing some eyeballs on social media — and it may literally turn heads along Comm Ave. this fall.
BU last week filed a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for “(Expletive) It Won’t Cut It,” the slogan that eight BU students came up with to encourage safe behavior among students in a COVID-19 world.
“It’s relatable language and really catches your eye,” said Hannah Schweitzer, one of the eight students to work on the campaign, later adding they were “shocked” that BU officials liked their “edgiest” idea.
In COVID-19 public health campaigns, it’s important to “be edgy and try everything to make sure people are safe and that the message will stick,” she said.
“We saw students saying ‘(expletive) it’ to everyday things with COVID-19,” Schweitzer, 21, said. “They were saying ‘(expletive) it’ and going to a party. The YOLO (you only live once) mindset. That can lead to big consequences with COVID-19.”
They’re hoping the slogan will spark a reminder for students to make safe choices at different decision points each day — because saying “(expletive)” to responsible protocols won’t keep students on campus, they said.
The campaign covers the importance of wearing masks, hand washing, coronavirus testing — along with how to talk to roommates about staying safe during the pandemic, reassessing the party lifestyle, and how to have safe sex in a COVID-19 world.
The group recently launched the campaign on social media with different graphics, and plans to put up digital signs around campus. They’re also launching a podcast soon to discuss different topics.
The student-run campaign has BU’s support, a university spokeswoman said. For technical reasons, the university had to register the trademark.
“The students proposed multiple campaign ideas and then surveyed their peers to see which one most resonated with their fellow students,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “This campaign was by far the most effective.
“The students have assumed responsibility for helping to protect the health and wellbeing of the entire community, which we are very supportive of,” she added. “Their work and their voices are unmistakably clear about how we all need to adapt and behave in a Covid-19 world.”
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/31MrT4J
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