Quebec is officially in the midst of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic according to its top public health official. But this time Canada's hardest-hit province is dealing with a different dynamic: the virus is spreading primarily in the community, rather than in long-term care homes and it is spreading more among young adults.The daily reports on the rising number of cases should prompt Quebeckers to take things seriously and behave accordingly. So far, many don't seem to care. As La Presse's Editor-in-Chief François Cardinal wrote two weeks ago about the findings from a Léger poll, French-speaking Quebeckers are showing a recklessness bordering on unconsciousness. “When asked if they are afraid of contracting the virus, 67% of English-speaking Canadians answer yes but barely 47% of French-speaking Quebecers say they are worried. A difference of 20%! And when asked about the possibility of re-containment, same thing. The Anglos believe that this is very likely in a proportion of 69% ... but only 56% of French-speaking Quebecers share this fear.” (The translation is mine.)Fighting the spread of the virus this fall is the government's top priority but fighting the public's laisser-faire attitude and lack of self-discipline is its biggest challenge.Premier François Legault knows it. And he's become the province's chief advertising strategist.Government advertising is usually the responsibility of senior bureaucrats who are advertising experts - although political staff is at times involved looking for ways to add a partisan angle to what should be purely informational advertising. But two weeks ago, the Premier made clear what he expects the new advertising strategy to achieve and how to go about. When Legault announced his strategy for a more aggressive ad campaign, he said he wants to put more of a human face on the advertising. “As soon as citizens know someone who has experienced the consequences of COVID, skeptical people are no longer skeptical,” Legault said. “But if we are able to have, on television, victims, real cases of people who can explain how hard getting COVID was, it might sensitize people who still think there is no risk.” (Source)One of the new ads was unveiled last week. “Francis is not an actor. He's a Quebecker, like you and I, who caught Covid-19 and became very sick. He spent 45 days in the hospital, including 12 days in a coma. Behind the statistics, there's real people like Francis. Look after yourselves!” the Premier tweeted about the ad earlier this week.François Legault Tweet:https://twitter.com/francoislegault/status/1308571787433836544Will it work as the Premier expects to convince young Quebeckers to take steps to stop the deadly virus from spreading? It might, but the problem with behaviour modification advertising is that it takes time to have a measurable impact. And this virus does not take its time.One of the most successful behaviour modification campaigns in Québec encouraged seat belt usage in the late 80's. It raised usage rates in Quebec from one of the lowest levels in Canada to over 93 per cent, a world record at the time. What's more, it was aimed at young male drivers who were strongly opposed to using seatbelts. The campaign's success was attributed to what its creators called a “potent blend of reason, emotion and creative inspiration”. The creative approach equated a 40 kilometre an hour car crash with a fall from a three storey building. It gave a relatively low-speed collision a very serious outcome. That creative dramatization succeeded in persuading even the most recalcitrant young drivers. But it took time and a consistent message delivered through an integrated communications approach that went well beyond advertising.Premier Legault is on the right track with his latest ads. He has the financial resources to quickly reach millions of Quebeckers but he may lack the time required to convince them to act responsibly even if they can be persuaded it's serious. After all, Quebeckers have long believed they should live for today because tomorrow they may die.Éric Blais is the president of Headspace Marketing in Toronto.