As we come out of the pandemic, people are starting to reconnect once again. But there are some immunocompromised people for whom vaccines don't work so well, and who still need to isolate due to their condition.

Cable brand Cox Communications is highlighting those families who can't hug each other with a new campaign, developed by FCB, that centers on a piece of wearable tech called the "HugShirt." In partnership with interactive fashion brand CuteCircuit, it uses haptic actuators and sensors to let people "hug" over Wi-Fi, so they can feel the touch of a loved one virtually. The shirts were designed after analyzing dozens of hugs.

An emotive hero film, seen here, shows a father with terminal cancer and his daughter connecting via the tech, with further films on YouTube documenting how it helped other families. Lance Oppenheim of M ssng P eces is the director on the campaign.

“Over the past year, we all learned what it’s like to be without human interaction,” said FCB Chicago Chief Creative Officer Andrés Ordóñez in a statement. “We admire Cox for practicing what they believe and using technology to bring individuals closer together, even when it can’t be in person. While technology can often be seen as cold, it was very powerful to see a brand tap technology in a heartwarming way that drives real human connections.”

Over the course of the pandemic, Cox has been running a series of campaigns that focus on the power of human connection. These have included turning a middle school drama production into an animated film as well as a project that focused on seniors feeling isolated in quarantine (both of which were created via 180 LA).