Secondhand smoke is a killer
With the hugely successful “If you smoke, I smoke” campaign in 2003, the dangers of smoking around children had become well established. However, with this campaign the Department of Health had a harder job to do – to tackle the subject of smoking around others in general.
The strategy
Secondhand smoke is not just unpleasant but is harmful to adults, and long term exposure to SHS increases risk of heart disease by 25%, lung cancer by 24% and stroke by 82%. The campaign aimed to show smokers the effects that secondhand smoke could have on adults that they smoked around. The creative needed to communicate dangers of secondhand smoke simply and effectively to smokers and non-smokers.
The creative
The TV advert features one person smoking in the midst of a group of family and friends relaxing in front of the television. During the course of the ad, the smoke snakes around the individuals’ necks, eventually coalescing above the group’s heads into an evil-looking face.
The ad carries the message: “Secondhand smoke can restrict the oxygen around your heart, causing it to fail”. It also tells viewers: “It increases your family’s chance of getting heart disease by 25%”.
The TV adverts were part of an integrated campaign which included radio, outdoor and ambient media.
The results
- Spontaneous awareness of publicity or advertising about the dangers of second hand smoke to adults increased significantly from 60% pre-campaign to 83% after the campaign
- 87% adults recognised one or more of the ads from the campaign
- 69% said the ads made them realise that cigarette smoke can damage the health of non-smokers 58% smokers agreed that the ads made them think they should quit smoking
Media
- TV
- Radio
- PR
- Outdoor
- Ambient (beer mats, washroom panels, sandwich bags)
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