Vaccine-Related Marketing Stunt Near Panthers Game Goes Viral

CHARLOTTE, NC — Thousands of football fans at the Carolina Panthers game Sunday at Bank of America Stadium were the target of a marketing stunt aimed at promoting COVID-19 vaccines.

According to photos that have been shared widely on Twitter, a black truck emblazoned with the name of a thought-to-be fictitious funeral home drove around the stadium with the message "Don't get vaccinated" — though the message was meant to encourage vaccines.

The truck featured a web address for "Wilmore Funeral Home." But when somebody visits the page, they are greeted by the message "Get Vaccinated Now. If not, see you soon," which is accompanied by a link to StarMed Healthcare's COVID-19 Vaccine Registration Page.

StarMed Healthcare chief medical officer Dr. Arin Piramzadian indicated to the Charlotte Observer that his organization was not behind the marketing stunt and said he didn't know who paid for the truck. However, Piramzadian said he was hoping the message got through to the public.

"If this saves one person's life by getting vaccinated, I'm 100 percent for it," Piramzadian said. "We know that 99 percent of people who are ending up in the hospital and dying are unvaccinated."

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, about 59 percent of Mecklenburg County residents are at least partially vaccinated, while 56 percent of all North Carolinians have received at least the first shot.

However, the highly contagious delta variant continues to infect hundreds of unvaccinated Charlotte residents each day.

Last week, Atrium Health shared a post on social media that indicated the health care system continues "to see the devastating effects of the Delta variant on the communities we serve."

Atrium Health said COVID-19 deaths in August were higher than in the previous four months combined, and that September COVID-19 deaths were on pace to be even higher.

Photos of the "Wilmore Funeral Home" truck driving through Charlotte appeared on the Twitter account of well-known social media influencer and former NBA star Rex Chapman and on the website of the Metro newspaper in London, among other places.