Finding the Funny in Swine Flu

Comedy can be an effective communication tool, especially when you’re talking about a pandemic that is disproportionately affecting young people.

The H1N1 label might save pork producers, but swine flu is a better brand for protecting young people. The Department of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently said that it appears the flu is targeting a non-traditional group – youth.

Part of the essential communication about this virus will be the use of comedy. For all the right reasons – from a health standpoint anyway – swine flu has a lot more comic potential than H1N1. And comedy will work like a virus to spread the message.

That comedy works for communicating to young people is common knowledge. In DECODE’s international study of young people’s general interests, comedy was only topped by music and film. Young people love to laugh, even about serious things. It’s the way they get the story across. It’s the way they learn about events. Political strategy 101 in America states that lead candidates should strive to appear on all late night chat shows at least once to get the youth vote. They will need to crack one joke and be seen as self-deprecating. Works like a charm.

Comedy has been used to promote virtually every cause on the planet. From good old Comic Relief, to more recent campaigns like Stand Up For Mental Health. All cause-related comic campaigns try to ensure the message has sustaining conversational power. Of course comedy has the potential to misinform, but it still has enormous positive potential.

So where is the humour in swine flu? After all, the WHO has confirmed that a Swine Flu pandemic is now imminent, raising fears that millions of people obviously have no idea what a pandemic is. As is often the case, that joke has a kernel of truth in it. Young people don’t know what a pandemic is. They have never really seen one before. SARS and Bird Flu came and went. Swine Flu is spreading fast, and it’s starting to kill youth – society’s healthiest group – along with the more traditionally affected groups. That is obviously nothing to laugh at, but we need to capture young people’s attention, and educate them on the necessary precautions.

Swine Flu is simply a better brand. It’s memorable, visual, and potentially funny. The introduction of the scientifically correct H1N1 label for the pandemic virus has served to confuse the general public and young people. We might be losing a powerful communication weapon by switching to a confusing, robotic, alphanumeric label.

As the WHO contemplates closing schools in September to slow the spread of swine flu, they and governments around the world must supplement drastic measures with effective communication for young people. By injecting the right amount of comedy into swine flu, these organizations could help stave off its further spread.