The Longest Ad illustrates daily struggles of long Covid

Scotland – Created by The Leith Agency for UK charity Covid Aid, this outdoor advertising campaign exhibits the daily realities of long Covid sufferers by means of 13 feet-long bus stop ads.

An oxymoron to conventional short and snappy ad copy style, The Longest Ad campaign features no less than 3,000 words, explaining the struggles that a long Covid sufferer encounters during the day. Located at two bus stops in Edinburgh, the text is printed on extra-long posters, which spill out from the frame and onto the ground for lack of space.

‘We wanted the reader to experience how difficult each day is. It’s a hard read, and as an ad it breaks most norms, but only by doing this were we able to encapsulate how utterly gruelling each day is,’ explains John McPartland, a creative director at The Leith Agency.

As over 2m people are reportedly affected by the condition in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics, this Civic Ad aims to shed light on the hardships that long Covid sufferers endure, and to raise awareness about the help that Covid Aid is offering.