Internet Culture

Canadian health campaign touts the importance of ‘the D’

Everybody needs to get some D once in a while.

Photo of Mary Emily O'Hara

Mary Emily O'Hara

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Canada’s northern Yukon territory is best known for icy activities like dog sledding, salmon fishing, and bordering Alaska. It’s cold and dark, and taking good care of yourself is important in such climes.

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That’s why Yukon Health and Social Services decided to inform residents, through a new ad campaign, about the vital importance of “The D.”

The D, according to Yukon’s health department, is something we all need. And if you aren’t getting enough of the D, you could face complications like asthma and muscle weakness. In older adults, failing to get the D on the regular can literally drive you nuts (cognitive impairment).

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Oh, and by the way—the D refers to Vitamin D. You knew that, right? Because as BuzzFeed Canada discovered on Sunday, Yukon Health and Social Services initiated the new public health campaign without realizing what, exactly, “the D” means in a colloquial sense.

The resulting ads—which have since been pulled from production—are hilarious and even a little twisted: They feature women, babies, men, and dogs, suggesting that a dose of the D is necessary for one and all.

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Of course, the Internet is now ruthlessly mocking the Yukon health agency, while locals are sharing their own stories of getting the D.

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The new ads for the campaign are straight to the point and no fun. Instead of insinuating a flagrant daily buffet of the D to the point of deep satisfaction, they simply read, “Did you take your Vitamin D today?’

H/T Adweek | Photo via stu_spivak/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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