How comfortable are you with opening doors in public spaces these days?
While you might not use gloves when you visit stores, ride public transit, or go to work, you probably wash your hands a great deal. Aside from gloves, many Vancouverties use their sleeves or elbows to press buttons on elevators or at crosswalks.
Last year, numerous companies created gadgets, such as the 100% copper Comate, to open doors hands-free or as a touch-free tip to push buttons or keypads.
But what if surfaces can help stop that spread?
In November 2020, TransLink became the first transit system in North America to pilot the use of bacteria and virus-killing copper on high-touch transit surfaces. A statement from TransLink said the findings of the industry-leading trial showed copper products kill up to 99.9 per cent of all bacteria within one hour of surface contact.
Now, a company called Teck Resources has enlisted Vancouver agency Will to create a campaign that would engage and educate the public, and gather opinions on where they’d like to see more copper surfaces in their communities.
Photo via Teck Resources Why copper?
Copper surfaces, with naturally antimicrobial properties, can help stop the spread of potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.
“Now, more than ever, people are concerned about staying safe and healthy – particularly in public settings and shared spaces. When we learned about the efficacy of copper surfaces in killing viruses and bacteria, it seemed obvious to us to use those very spaces to help get our message across,” said Lisa Lebedovich, Creative Director at Will.
In partnership with KIDDO films, an experiential activation was created, transforming a busy public entryway into a choice: choose the regular door, or choose a copper door, which kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
The reaction across participants was unanimous: copper.
“Seeing the reaction of everyday people learning the health benefits of copper was incredibly positive. Their excitement and interest in Teck’s Copper & Health program confirms how important it is to advocate for the use of antimicrobial copper in public spaces, and to help make our communities safer.” said Jay Schlosar, Director of the Copper & Health program at Teck.
The campaign, which runs until mid-April, includes social, digital display and OOH across Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa, drives to a landing page where people can learn more about the virus-killing properties of antimicrobial copper.
