In light of growing zombie hype and recent cannibal attacks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created a website offering advice on how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse.
Although the CDC denies the existance of a "zombie virus," the agency launched the campaign to engage new audiences and educate the public about disaster preparedness, according to the website. The website features a zombie novella, downloadable posters of tips on how to prepare for an attack and a blog featuring the history of zombies.
"Today, we're constantly bombarded with media and it's becoming increasingly challenging for public health campaigns to attract attention," said Gary Bennett, associate professor of psychology, global health and medicine and director of the Duke Obesity Prevention Program. "This type of campaign, which builds upon the success of 'The Walking Dead' and increasing popular interest in zombies, has a great deal of promise."
Bennett added that the campaign is likely targeted to a younger demographic, a segment of the population that is otherwise unlikely to attend traditional preparedness campaigns.
"Health communication is no different than other forms of marketing -- ultimately, we're all competing for eyeballs--of course, not the kind that zombies are interested in," Bennett said. "It's critical for public health messages to attract attention, be engaging, easy to quickly understand, and relevant to the viewer. I think the CDC campaign achieves all of these goals."
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