Shelly Lares among stars featured in San Antonio’s ‘What Will It Take’ COVID-19 campaign

Ahead of the holiday season, the City of San Antonio has launched a new campaign entitled What Will It Take, which urges residents to take simple actions to slow the spread of COVID-19. The campaign features original songs written by local musicians urging residents to do their part to contain the spread of COVID-19. The campaign will also include on-the-ground outreach efforts in areas that have been most impacted by the pandemic.

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“As we enter the holiday season and the eighth month of this pandemic, we know everyone is experiencing COVID-19 fatigue. We all want life to return to normal, but we hope this campaign reminds the public how critical it is to work together to contain the spread of COVID-19,” said City Manager Erik Walsh.

The What Will It Take multimedia campaign, which includes English and Spanish components, includes print advertising, out of home placements, radio, television, digital, and social media elements. The campaign also features original songs from local performers Shelly Lares, Santiago Jimenez Jr., Alyson Alonzo, Azul Barrientos, Michael Carrillo, and Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson. The songs, composed in the style of each artist, feature COVID-19 prevention messaging in English and Spanish. The songs will be featured in radio, television, and digital advertisements.

“The city of San Antonio was going to be starting this campaign because people were still getting really sick with COVID, people weren’t wearing masks, and they kind of wanted to get artists that were from San Antonio, first and foremost, that were really going to make an impact with people,” Lares tells Tejano Nation.

Lares co-wrote an original radio jingle for the campaign with Severo “Sevy Contreras. Campaign organizers decided to use the tune for a television commercial as well.

“I’ve been staying home as much as possible to protect my mom at home and now I’m asking San Antonio what it’ll take to celebrate as San Antonio again,” Lares said in a press release. “¿Que tiene que pasar para volver a la normalidad?”

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The What Will It Take campaign features traditional advertising, as well as grassroots efforts in areas that have been most affected by COVID-19. Local taquerias and panaderias will receive bags for their curbside to-go orders that feature prevention messages in English and Spanish. In addition, street teams with prevention information, masks, and other materials will deploy in targeted areas to help educate people about behaviors they can take to slow the spread.

Lares is currently working on a new album titled LMD82 with a scheduled released date for Feb. 14, 2021.

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