'The Mask is the Answer': Photo Advertisement Featuring 1,332 Suwon Citizens Draws Attention

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City is drawing attention by unveiling a 'citizen participation-type' advertisement created as part of its 'The Mask is the Answer' campaign for COVID-19 prevention.

The city posted an advertisement on July 20 on a large billboard on the 2nd floor of Suwon Station, created by collecting photos of 1,332 citizen advertisement models wearing masks.

Using a 'photo mosaic' technique where numerous photos come together to create a single image, the advertisement features Suwon City's official character 'Suwon-i' wearing a mask along with the message 'The Mask is the Answer'.

To create the advertisement, the city ran an online event titled 'Become an Advertisement Model for Suwon City' from June 26 for ten days. 1,332 citizens sent in photos of themselves wearing masks, and all of them were included in this advertisement without exception.

The city plans to utilize the advertisement through its official blog and social media such as Facebook, while also posting it at major locations throughout the city including Suwon Station, to raise awareness about the importance of mask-wearing and encourage voluntary citizen participation.

An Sun-il, Head of the City's Public Relations and Planning Team, said "'The Mask is the Answer' is a two-way citizen participation campaign conducted together with citizens who practice mask-wearing even in the intense heat," adding "To overcome COVID-19, we will communicate with citizens and implement campaigns in ways that anyone can easily participate in and relate to."

He continued, "The mask is the most effective means of protecting oneself from infection risk," and urged "each and every citizen to voluntarily wear masks to prevent the spread of infectious diseases."