Actor Jeff Bridges reflects on his personal experience of COVID-19 and chemotherapy in a heartfelt new campaign from AstraZeneca, highlighting the experience of the immunocompromised as we come out of the pandemic.

Created via Edelman, the spot is an unbranded PSA aimed educating the public on steps they can take to receive an additional layer of protection from COVID through a long-acting monoclonal antibody, such as made by AstraZeneca.

Filmed in the Botanical Gardens in Santa Barbara at Bridges' suggestion (he and his wife and dog Monty love to walk there), the spot sees the actor strum his guitar while he reflects on his time "away" being treated for cancer and COVID. "I almost lost it all," he says. "My immune system was totally shot." He goes to emphasize that "you can up your antibodies before COVID comes knocking." 

Bridges was highly involved in the creative process for the spot, bringing on his own creative team from movie "Crazy Heart" including director Scott Cooper and music lead T-Bone Burnett. The guitar is from the actor's own personal collection and the music comes from a song that his late friend, musician Stephen Bruton, wrote for "Crazy Heart" as the base layer for Bridges to pluck the guitar to.  And his wife Susan vetted the script to ensure that it sounded authentically like Bridges' own voice.

The campaign is running across broadcast, online video, social, print, audio (podcasts) and out-of-home; a longer testimonial spot with Bridges discussing his experience is also airing on YouTube.

It forms part of a wider campaign by AstraZeneca to highlight immunocompromised people, which will also include involvement by actor, producer, and writer Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon, whose story featured in the movie "The Big Sick."