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This study examines the communication strategies used in the Swedish vaccination campaign“Ta gratissprutan mot HPV” (Get the Free HPV Shot). The purpose of this study is to analyzethe communication strategies applied in the campaign to reach the target audience and addressthe challenges regarding vaccine skepticism and information overload. The study examineshow the target audience is being approached, the rhetorical narratives and how the messagesare structured. The study is based on a qualitative multimodal analysis, incorporating both asemiotic and rhetorical perspective to examine the campaigns visual and linguisticexpressions. The theoretical framework is based on theories regarding semiotics, legitimacy,message framing and interpretation. These theories combined with former research regardingskepticism, decision-making and vaccination and health campaigns gives us a solidfoundation to illustrate a broader perspective and make valid conclusions from the results.

Findings indicate that the campaign is based on humor with a light-hearted approach to thetarget group. The content and the messages of the campaign combines legitimacy withpositive associations. The legitimacy from the campaign mainly comes from reinforcingcredible sources such as 1177 and combining this with light-hearted and engaging elements.The campaign uses messages about sex, women's health and precautionary actions againstcervical cancer as something natural and suggests that this is a topic for the broad population.This study draws a conclusion that the strategies seem to be successful since the vaccinationuptake has increased significantly since the campaign started. In summary the study showsthat one of the keys to success may be linked to the usage of emotional messaging based onpositive feelings instead of using a fear framed approach. Overall the study shows that it is thelight-hearted and emotional messaging shaped to reach the target audience and thecombination with legitimacy from 1177 that are the successful elements of this campaign.