The Ad Council is partnering on the initiative with the COVID Collaborative, a national assembly of experts in health, education, and the economy. The education effort has set a goal of raising $50 million from philanthropists, corporations, and other private-sector organizations in order to complement government efforts.

Health and science experts from the COVID Collaborative will lead the initiative, which will include two components: developing standout creative works and establishing an insights engine to test and optimize messages and creative assets. The campaign will focus on meeting four needs:

1. Identifying and addressing misconceptions and concerns regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness
2. Uniting spokespeople with consistent, research-based messaging
3. Tailoring communications, media placements, and community-based outreach to reach multiple and diverse audiences
4. Reinforcing the importance of wearing face masks

The Ad Council is already readying the first phase of messaging to go live in early 2021, and stakeholders plan to evolve and expand the campaign's efforts as public understanding shifts. The Ad Council has also partnered with the COVID Collaborative to develop the "Mask Up America" toolkit, which provides resources for governors to communicate the importance of face coverings.