A pentadic analysis of the “Vax That Thang Up” COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Background: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination campaigns have proliferated, with an emergence of non-health organizations endeavoring to sway vaccine skeptics. Aim: This paper analyzes the rhetorical strategies and audience response of one campaign - "Vax That Thang Up" - by BLK, a dating app for black singles. Method: Using a pentadic analysis, I examine how and why “Vax That Thang Up” attempts to persuade its target population - single black people - to get vaccinated, what the ad suggests about how this population makes health decisions, and how these individuals identify (or not) with the campaign’s message. Results/Discussion: Ultimately, this research sheds light on how contemporary health campaigns targeted toward minority populations can inadvertently reinforce stigmatized narratives, undermine audience agency, and lead to a resistant audience. Health promotion strategies must be sensitive to the historical conditions that have influenced an audience's attitude towards the American healthcare system. Conclusions: Health messaging aimed at historically marginalized and underserved populations, which have had to navigate difficult messaging in the past, highlights the importance of providing health information that fosters greater understanding, curiosity, and empowerment among these groups.