One fateful afternoon in 2011, David Daigle, associate director of communications at the Center for Disease Control (CDC), purchased eighty-seven dollars of zombie-related photography – convinced that this would be the key to engaging a young, media-savvy audience in a conversation about disaster preparedness. Daigle concluded – based on his personal affinity with zombie culture – that there are similarities between the items one would need in a disaster kit and those needed to survive a zombie attack and that this unique connection would be relevant in a zombie-crazed society. Realistic shows that depict the gruesome lives of survivors of a disease-prone society, such as: The Walking Dead (a popular television series on AMC), convince citizens that the no-nonsense story of Hollywood's finest is palpable. Even though citizens have a healthy fear of the undead, there is still a lot of pressure on the entertainment industry to provide more zombie folklore. Without delay, authors, artists, and others developed a vast zombie pop culture surrounding realistic books, films, blogs, television series, fanfiction forums, and even online groups intended to prepare for such an event. With growing concern over the seemingly viable arrival of a zombie apocalypse, it's no wonder Daigle has come to this conclusion. There's no doubt that when a natural, man-made or zombie disaster strikes, it's important to be prepared. However, the challenge for the CDC was how to engage the public with this seemingly lifeless – literally – and pointless information. The purpose of this case study is to (1) track the CDC's disaster preparedness campaign against the zombie apocalypse through relevant media, (2) examine the key message...... middle of paper.. .... dc.gov/about /Dillingham, I. (April 5, 2014). Zombies invade the local community center. Retrieved from https://www.michigandaily.com/news/zombies-invade-ann-arbor-train-public-health-studentsHaiken, M. (2014, March 18). Is the CDC predicting an undead zombie apocalypse? Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/03/18/is-the-cdc-really-preparing-for-a-zombie-apocalypse-not-exactly/Holiday, R. (2012 ). Trust Me, I'm Lying: The Tactics and Confessions of a Media Manipulator. New York, NY: Portfolio. Muncie Free Press. (September 7, 2012). The CDC and FEMA warn of an impending zombie apocalypse. Retrieved from http://www.munciefreepress.com/node/26819Shirky, C. (2008). Gin, television and cognitive surplus. Edge, (255).Zhang, C. (2014). "CDC Creates 'Zombie Survival Guide'". Retrieved from http://www.newsy.com/videos/cdc-creates-zombie-survival-guide/