A major lobbying arm of the manufacturing industry is hoping to influence the adoption of safety guidelines in several high-profile electoral swing states.
The ad campaign, launched by the National Association of Manufacturers, features a one-minute television spot highlighting the importance of wearing a mask. The ad, titled “Wear a Face Covering,” will run on television in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio ahead of the 2020 general election.
“If everyone wears a mask outside the home, maintains social distancing with anyone other than the family unit and practices appropriate hygiene procedures, we will get the tens of millions of unemployed Americans back to work. If large groups of people refuse to wear masks, they are condemning their fellow citizens to long-term unemployment and our economy to disaster,” NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons wrote in a statement.
Mandatory mask-wearing has been a hotly debated issue since the outbreak of the coronavirus, with President Trump refusing to wear a face mask outside of a visit to an automotive manufacturing plant in Detroit. However, Timmons said mask-wearing is the “most certain way” to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“Today, we know that the best and most certain way to stop the spread is for everyone to wear a facial covering. It isn’t fun. It isn’t pleasant. But through shared responsibility, we can get this pandemic under control and save small businesses and jobs,” Timmons said. “That’s why the NAM is taking this message across the country.”
