The strategy

Every year, thousands of children go to hospital because of breathing their parents’ cigarette smoke.

Using the trigger of kids and the damage your smoking does to your loved ones, the Department of Health aimed to raise awareness among smokers and start making smoking around children socially unacceptable.

The campaign was run twice in 2003 from 7 July – 30 August and from 1- 31 December, and again in 2005, from 23 May -22 August.

The creative

By showing very young children exhaling smoke, the campaign effectively showed the simple idea that if you smoke, people around you including children are affected. The integrated campaign ran on numerous channels and included TV, radio and outdoor – it was even extended to reach parents of newborn babies, by distributing bibs carrying the message ‘If you smoke, I smoke’.

The results

The campaign was extremely successful. After the first burst of advertising, total campaign recognition was a remarkable 83%, this increased to 90% following the second burst of advertising. Before the campaign launched only 28% of people saw second-hand smoke as a health risk to children – far behind traffic fumes and pollution. But following the advertising, second-hand smoke was seen as the number one danger with over half of respondents (56%) mentioning it spontaneously There was also a significant uplift in the number of people banning smoking in the home from 45% to 49%.

Media

• TV
• Radio
• Outdoor
• Cinema (2005 only)
• Press ads
• PR
• Postcards

Awards

IPA Effectiveness Awards 2004 (for overall collaborative work between Department of Health, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation)

• Gold Award
• The Broadbent Prize for Best Dedication to Effectiveness

Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2004
Shortlist,  Public Health & Safety

British Arrows 2004
Bronze, Public Service