One fateful afternoon in 2011, David Daigle, associate director of communications, at the Center for Disease Control (CDC), purchased eighty-seven dollars worth of disaster-related stock photography zombies, 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 to the items one would need in an emergency kit and those needed to survive a zombie attack, and that this unique connection would be relevant to a society gone mad by zombies. Realistic shows depicting the horrific lives of survivors of a disease-prone society, such as: The Walking Dead (a popular television series on AMC), have convinced citizens that the pragmatic storytelling of Hollywood's best stories is palpable. Although citizens have a healthy fear of the undead, there remains a strong demand from the entertainment industry to provide more zombie folklore. Without delay authors, artists and the like have developed a vast zombie pop culture surrounding books, films, blogs, television series, fan fiction forums and even realistic online groups geared towards preparing for such an event. With growing alarm over the seemingly possible arrival of the zombie apocalypse, it's no wonder Daigle has come to his conclusion. There is no doubt that when a natural disaster strikes, whether caused by humans or zombies, it is important to be prepared. However, the challenge for CDC was how to engage the public with this seemingly lifeless – literally – and uninteresting information. The purpose of this case study is to (1) monitor the CDC's zombie apocalypse disaster preparedness campaign through relevant media, (2) examine the key message... half of the document... dc. gov/about /Dillingham, I. (2014, April 5). 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 planning a walking dead 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 ). Believe Me, I'm Lying: The Tactics and Confessions of a Media Manipulator. New York, NY: Portfolio. Muncie Free Press. (2012, September 7). CDC and FEMA warn of 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/