34 Sources For Free Files That Screen Networks Can Use For COVID-19 Awareness
March 11, 2020 by Dave Haynes
Here is a resource of free, screen-ready public service graphics and motion media files that digital signage and DOOH networks of all stripes and models can use to raise awareness of, and reinforce, health safety and prevention measures in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.
These have been developed by companies to make available to customers, and now, more broadly to anyone who might use them. A big thanks to those stepping up.
The list will be updated as more material comes in.
Thank You Messaging
Studio Kudzu
LA-based design shop Studio Kudzu has developed a 60-second piece for networks that want to recognize and thank frontline workers. It is a free download. A portrait version is also being developed. 16:9 did the scripting.
Thank You from Studio Kudzu on Vimeo.
This is the link to the page: https://www.studiokudzu.com/freebies/thank-you
Motion graphics people who want to develop the spot for other languages can access the AfterEffects file for free, as well.
Freshwater Digital
Michigan solutions company Freshwater Digital has developed a set of videos that thank and teach people, and is offering to tweak those videos to add things like company brands, at no charge.
Says marketing director Ben Kaluski:
This is the download page: https://go.fwdigital.net/videos
What To Do Messaging
Static Image Files
MVIX
The CMS software firm MVIX, based in the DC area, has produced a set of what it calls Fact Sheets in Landscape and Portrait mode. They are PNG files, but the company has also made the Photoshop PSD files if company creatives want to add additional information.
Download is a Zip file, with the link at the bottom of this page.
Revel Digital
Fargo, ND’s Revel Digital has taken some of the slides that have been developed by the World Health Organization and re-sized them so they fit on conventional 16:9 screens.
They are on this page …
Rise Vision
The creative team at Rise Vision put together a nice set of education slides in portrait and landscape. There are now templates available in English, Hispanic and French.
Here’s the link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16xzWxMokjOFoRfGiP_vDXh9d77RsanGb
Out of home Advertising Association of America (OAAA)
The OAAA has partnered with the CDC to offer public-health PSAs in a variety of static digital OOH formats, some that natively fit a standard 16:9 format, but others that would suit things like billboards. These are all image files in a variety of formats and shapes.
This is the page where they are found, but be advised you need to register to get at them.
SnapComms
New Zealand workplace communications firm SnapComms has developed what it calls wallpapers – essentially PNG files – that are specifically designed for office/work environments.
They’re free and available here.
Four Winds Interactive
Denver-based CMS software and solutions firm Four Winds Interactive, one of the biggest non-hardware employers in the industry, says:
To inform our employees of the actions they can take to combat the spread of coronavirus, we’ve created a series of images to use on digital displays that outline the things everyone needs to know to help keep their organizations and loved ones healthy during this time of concern.
The content—adapted from CDC guidelines and recommendations—is something we’re using on our own digital signage network, and we hope that you will find it valuable. While FWI customers can access this content via the FWI Store, given the severity of the concern, we’re making this content publicly available for all businesses with digital signage networks to use.
This is the page with all the files. You just right-click and save.
Ping HD
Denver-based digital signage software and solutions firm Ping HD has developed a set of seven informational slides. The difference here is that 5 of the 7 have Hispanic versions.
Download here: https://www.pinghd.com/free-covid-19-digital-signage-templates/
DAKTRONICS
LED display manufacturer Daktronics, based in South Dakota, has had its creative teams put together a collection of free content for billboard operators, some tuned to its specific displays but others that suitable to broad use.
Upshow
The Chicago-based DOOH network Upshow, which focuses on bars and restaurants, has developed some fun messaging that can be used on any screens.
Social distancing is a necessary measure to minimize the spread of COVID-19. However, we recognize the significant impact it has had on businesses that depend on gathering, and that it has had on our healthcare systems.
Comforting guests, educating them, and maintaining loyalty is a not only a priority, but a necessity during this time. We’ve created a library of relevant digital signage assets that can be downloaded for free. That way, you can leverage your technology to the fullest extent while doing what you do best – running your business.
You can find a Dropbox link to the downloadable files here …
Enplug
LA-based Enplug has developed a series of slides available for download to any digital signage or DOOH network.
Our digital posters, says the company, are professionally designed for display networks. In addition, the content draws on CDC guidance for the steps to take to contain the spread of COVID-19. We’ve also made portrait and landscape versions for each design.
This is the download page: https://blog.enplug.com/coronavirus-digital-signage-templates-free
The company has also announced:
- The Enplug Browser Web Player with Shareable Content URLs streamlines sharing information across geographically distributed teams. Emailing a unique URL to employees enables them to automatically display content full-screen on any laptop, desktop or mobile device, with the option of split-screen viewing in certain desktop configurations. Employees can either bookmark the link, or simply keep the email handy to reference the URL when needed.
WHO
The World Health Organization also has a set of files it has made available, static and video. The videos are longer and arguable not all that workable for most networks, but nonetheless.
Visualized Data And Widgets
Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge data visualization software firm Bannister Lake has announced that as a public service offering, it is: making authoritative COVID-19 data available to its customers via its built-in Community data aggregation service. Community collects data from credible public sources such as the World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins and ingests it directly into Bannister Lake’s Chameleon data aggregation and management solution.
In addition, the company has developed a world map-based web widget populated with the same COVID-19 data illustrating the extent of the outbreak. Recognizing that as the virus spreads, reliable data is essential for audiences to understand the rapidly changing situation and to respond accordingly, Bannister Lake is making the data and widget available as a public service.
Within Chameleon, users can manage and integrate local, national, and international news; closings; alerts; financial data; and other topical content to create a complete view of the COVID-19 situation. This content can then be outputted as tickers, L-Bars, data-populated graphics, or fully automated information channels. Chameleon’s RESTful API can be used to strategically distribute data to different broadcast graphic engines, digital signage systems, or as HTML5 for online and mobile distribution.
Media organizations can further query and edit COVID-19 related data to create a variety of custom visualizations including geographically focused datasets, charts, tables, and indicators. Users can schedule the playback of specific data to target particular markets or platforms with data content that may be especially important to that audience.
Bannister Lake will continue to develop data parsers incorporating data from reliable sources to ensure that media organizations and their audiences have access to the most up-to-date and accurate content.
Stills and Videos
Telecine
Montreal solutions company Telecine have put together still slides and subtle video animations. www.digitalsignage.tips allows free access and unlimited rights to use graphics that were developed using CDC-based advice, including:
- 16:9 and 9:16
- videos
- gifs
- jpgs
Clicking on one of the images on this page opens up a download page.
ARREYA
Iowa-based CMS company ARREYA has developed a round-up page of stock images and videos, as well as material from the CDC, and Johns Hopkins.
- Updated Coronavirus Prevention video to reflect updated CDC guidelines and recommendations
- NEW Social Distancing video
- NEW Healthcare Professionals Thank You video
- NEW Hand Sanitizer video
- NEW Telehealth video
- Updated poster on Disinfection and Cleaning process
- NEW Spanish language poster on Disinfection and Cleaning process
- NEW Spanish language COVID-19 flyer
- NEW 4-page COVID-19 overview
Motion Media
The Marlin Company
Wallingford, CT-based The Marlin Company, which was doing workplace communications waaaaay before it became a hot signage vertical, has developed a set of downloadable files in video format.
They are smaller resolutions, suggesting they were designed as much for social media channels as screens, but they could run in a zone within a layout.
This Marlin page has helpful tips, and at the bottom, there are these elements:
To help you get started with your coronavirus employee communication plan, Marlin is making the following workplace digital signage content available to you to download and use in your facilities.
General hygiene & prevention best practices:
Content specific to coronavirus:
Sharp Media Group
Kansas City-based Sharp Media Group, which has built up a signage business starting with motor vehicle licensing offices, has kindly taken some of the CDC’s longer videos and cut them down to signage-suitable 30 second spots.
There are five different videos that can be downloaded for use, via Vimeo. Here is the link page: https://www.sharpmediallc.com/coronavirus
Seenspire
Belgian subscription content provider Seenspire has developed an HTML5-driven feed that cycles through social media posts from key, trusted information sources like the CDC and the UK National Health Service.
The feed is free to use and ideal for display on signage. All that needs to be done is to copy a URL and paste that into any CMS/screen browser. The content is curated and refreshes automatically. It also auto-adapts to the display screen (landscape/portrait mode, screen-size).
All content in the feed is sourced from the official accounts of the WHO, the CDC (US) and NHS (England). The only requirement is that the user’s CMS/screen browser be HTML5 compatible. The Seenspire URL will automatically adjust animations and transitions based on the performance of the player or CMS.
Here is the feed URL – https://content.seenspire.com/TQyS-Ll4k-EfNv
MediaPlace
NYC-based content shop MediaPlace used CDC tips and stock video to put together a pair of longer-form videos – landscape and portrait.
This is the download page: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/pRtub4W1Mu/files
Melting Ice Cube
The Montreal signage and AV solutions firm Montreal Ice Cube has developed prevention videos in French and English.
You have to submit information to a form to register and an email link will be forwarded.
Screenfeed
Render Impact
Bethlehem, PA’s Render Impact creative shop has developed free 1080p and 4K landscape and portrait COVID-19 animated digital signage content.
The download page is here: http://more.renderimpact.com/coronavirus-free-digital-signage-content-1
Broadsign
We’re now weeks into our shared isolation, and while some parts of the globe are finding opportunities to make slight reductions in preventative measures, it’s clear that we have to wait a while longer before we get back to normal.
That’s one reason why we’re such fans of the ongoing efforts by the OOH community. Around the world, businesses are using screen space to spread useful reminders, updates, and encouragement to audiences all over the world. It’s going to be a big help over the long haul, and we decided we wanted to do our part to further this cause.
That’s why we put together the following HTML5 templates, which are free to modify and use wherever you like. We hope you find them useful.
Download them here: https://broadsign.com/blog/download-our-free-covid-19-html5-templates-for-dooh/
Synect Media
Seattle-based solutions provider and creative shop Synect, perhaps best known for its work in Microsoft stores and at Orlando’s airport, has produced a set of videos available to network operators.
Synect has launched a free digital signage content pack to help fight the spread of the Coronavirus.
We created this HD video content for organizations to use in public spaces. It is based on CDC guidelines, and it provides animated health and safety tips. Visual reminders of handwashing, social distancing and more are included.
The download page is here: https://www.covid19.synectmedia.com/
CDC
The Centers for Disease Control has a page with numerous videos, some which are applicable to signage and DOOH usage (visuals as opposed to talking heads), but they are streamed videos and not download-ready. I don’t want to tie up the CDC bugging them about this, as they are very presumably slammed right now.
Here is the page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/videos.html
Free icons for creatives to make their own messaging
Great list!
https://www.xcomms.com/