A new animated spot from New York's largest healthcare provider Northwell Health sees a little girl lead New Yorkers in a superhero-style fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The spot, which is the first ever animated film by MJZ director Fredrik Bond, is called "Fearless Leader" (which has echoes of "Fearless Girl," perhaps?) and starts wtih the young girl putting on a cardboard face shield as she witnesses patients being treated for COVID-19 in hopsital. She leads the celebratory "clap out" as a patient survives and then heads out into the city to rally other residents, including a pizza chef, sanitation employees and even pigeons, to support the fight. Finally she takes up a sword, Joan of Arc style, to strike down a giant coronavirus that looms in the sky. It's set to a soundtrack from beat poet IN-Q, who exhorts New Yorkers to fight COVID-19 "with love" and tells us that superheroes "exist inside us all."

The film was created by Strawberry Frog and animated by Eight VFX, with quick cuts to reflect the fast pace of superhero films. “The ‘Fearless Leader’ campaign sees a little girl transform into a superhero, and we think it will make for a powerful message in a hugely entertaining and hardworking campaign,” said Scott Goodson, CEO of StrawberryFrog, in a statement. “It is big, bold and larger than life when many other brands are mirroring hospitals and health care workers in their ads.”

The ad, breaking Memorial Day, will run on TV while the campaign will also feature in print, radio, social and outdoor activations.