A series of large electronic billboards around Tauranga are carrying a simple yet powerful message encouraging people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The designs were created by Te Tuinga Whānau chief imagination officer Tommy Wilson as 'positive relevant messaging” aimed at what he calls the 'challenging sectors of our community”.

Tommy's passion to connect with and protect every single person within reach of his community has inspired him to create the designs, with the cost of projecting the giant messages covered by sponsors.

'We need to get to those marginalised sectors of the community – the gangs and homeless,” he says. 'They are now the most important, and we want to see they get vaccinated.

'To do that we need the right messaging to connect and engage with them.”

Four large billboards around Tauranga, including sites at Bethlehem roundabout, the corner of Fraser Street and 15th Avenue and at Mount Maunganui, will carry a range of simple messages such as ‘One love two shots', ‘No Covid no cry', ‘The Mighty All Vax, be part of the team', ‘Make it a double', ‘One small prick for man, one giant jab for mankind', and ‘Imagine life without lockdown'.

Some of the graphics will also carry the words ‘Shot bro'.

'It's a positive message,” says Tommy. 'Imagine a life without lockdown. People get that. It's a warmer, lighter message that connects better with those areas and people that we must see get vaccinated.”

These are people that Tommy's team works with every day, extending love and compassion.

'They need to know we care before we tell them what they need to know. We need to sit down, have a kai and a kōrero with them.

'That's when the message will get through. You must take manaakitanga with you in your kete.”