Cagliari's shock coronavirus campaign sparks outrage

The municipality of Cagliari launched a shock advertising campaign to promote coronavirus containment measures, using fear-arousing appeals on 6x3 meter billboards. The posters feature guilt-inducing statements like "When they INTUBATED my father, I thought about that WALK I should have avoided" and "When my son was INFECTED, I realized I had to give up that UNNECESSARY SHOPPING." The campaign, created by an unnamed agency and offered pro bono by the advertising concessionaire, drew widespread criticism on social media, including from Francesca Ghirra, former mayoral candidate for the center-left, who called it "excessive and in bad taste." Mayor Paolo Truzzu (Lega, Forza Italia, Fratelli d'Italia, UDC) defended the initiative, stating he anticipated attacks but prioritized citizens' health over consensus. The article critiques the strategy as counterproductive, arguing that fear and guilt may cause rejection rather than reflection, and that the campaign lacks scientific information and rational advice. It questions whether the shock approach will effectively change behavior or simply generate negative reactions.