Omnicom Health Hong Kong turns cultural storytelling into HPV vaccination awareness campaign

Hong Kong – With the registration deadline for Hong Kong’s free HPV Vaccination Catch-up Program fast approaching, Omnicom Health Hong Kong has partnered with the HPV Prevention Alliance and the Karen Leung Foundation to launch “Catch-up Now,” a public awareness campaign designed to encourage more eligible young women to get vaccinated before the opportunity expires.

The campaign addresses the low participation rate among an estimated 70,600 women born between 2004 and 2008 who qualify for the government’s one-off free HPV vaccination programme. 

According to the LegCo Panel on Health Services, fewer than 3% of eligible recipients had registered through Women’s Wellness Satellite government clinics as of August last year, leaving many at risk of missing the 31 July registration deadline.

Created by Omnicom Health Hong Kong, “Catch-up Now” draws on Cantonese opera as a cultural metaphor to highlight the importance of protecting one’s future. 

While traditional opera often presents its villains in plain sight, the campaign contrasts this with HPV, an invisible threat that many young women may not recognise until it is too late.

At the centre of the campaign is a film featuring Gen Z YouTuber Hiu Yan alongside Professor Hextan Ngan, convener of the HPV Prevention Alliance, and Professor Karen Chan, a trusted medical advisor. 

Set within a Cantonese opera exhibition, the conversation bridges cultural preservation with cancer prevention while encouraging young women to take proactive steps to protect themselves against HPV-related cancers.

Hiu Yan, who has experienced ovarian cancer herself, shares her personal perspective in the film, adding authenticity to conversations around prevention and the importance of acting while free vaccination remains available.

The campaign has already generated encouraging results. According to the organisations behind the initiative, vaccination sites participating in the programme have been operating close to full capacity since the campaign launched a month ago, with appointment availability throughout June and July remaining highly limited.

Katharina Reimer, CEO of the Karen Leung Foundation, said the initiative reflects the collective effort required to improve access to cervical cancer prevention.

“The Karen Leung Foundation is proud to stand alongside the HPV Prevention Alliance in supporting Hong Kong’s HPV Vaccination Catch-Up Program. Protecting girls and young women from cervical cancer is at the heart of everything we do, and this progress is only possible through a collective effort,” Reimer said.

Meanwhile, Sam Wong, Managing Director of Omnicom Health Hong Kong, said the campaign focused on helping people understand the urgency behind the vaccination programme.

“The challenge with this campaign wasn’t simply telling people to get vaccinated, but helping them understand why it matters and empowering them to act before the opportunity disappears” 

Wong added, “It’s been incredibly rewarding working with our trusted partners at Karen Leung Foundation and the HPV Prevention Alliance to make sure we created something meaningful and we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response so far.”

The integrated campaign is running across digital channels through targeted video placements, supported by content shared on the social platforms of the HPV Prevention Alliance, the Karen Leung Foundation, and influencer Hiu Yan. 

The initiative aims to reach both eligible young women and their parents, helping close awareness gaps before registrations close on 31 July.