act3 is a communication strategy and design firm that specializes in telling stories.

This blog is our story laboratory, a way to poke, prod, and take a closer look at the stories we see, the stories we tell, and our own assumptions and knowledge about why stories work (or don't). The goal is to better understand what makes a story connect with people, and how to tell better stories.

Like any blog, it's an evolving concept. We hope you'll follow along.

September 8

Walgreens flips the script on flu shots

I don’t like shots, and I’m generally healthy, so I have never seen a need for a flu shot. I suspect I’m exactly the kind of person Walgreens is targeting with this poster, which I spied in the waiting room of the Walgreens pharmacy:

Walgreens Flu Shot Poster

The poster banks on the understanding that while many people don’t take good care of themselves — and like me, can probably convince themselves pretty easily that they don’t need a flu shot — they do want to take care of the people who are important to them.

And so, the poster changes your association with a flu shot: instead of it being about a needle and 25 bucks, it’s about doing something for others. That’s a pretty nifty flip.

:: Posted by Eric Ratinoff ::