The strategy

The object of this campaign was to make the consequences of smoking during pregnancy feel immediate, motivating pregnant women to quit. The campaign effectively explained how every cigarette restricts oxygen supply to the baby, causing their heart to pump harder¹. Midwives were also a key audience and given a free toolkit of support materials, designed to enable them to easily explain the risks of smoking in pregnancy and increase referrals to NHS support services.

The creative

One of the posters showed the image of a silhouetted pregnant woman smoking. However, instead of the smoke being exhaled out of the pregnant woman’s mouth, it’s exhaled out of her baby bump. A simple yet effective way of communicating the shocking fact that if you smoke, your unborn baby does too.

The results

• The number of quit dates set by pregnant women was 31.3% higher during the period after the campaign launched) than it was during the same period in the previous year. The number of successful quits at 4 weeks was also up on last year’s Q1 figures by 34%.
• Search related to smoking in pregnancy during the campaign increased by 21%
• Recognition of the campaign executions overall was strong. The posters achieved the highest cut-through followed by radio and advertorials, then online.
• Significant increase at the post-campaign stage of partners trying to stop smoking from 28% pre-campaign to 45% post.
• The campaign had a positive impact on claimed behaviour – 2/3 said they were more likely to stop smoking as a result of the advertising, and 2/5 said they had taken some action as a result

Media

• Radio
• Outdoor
• Direct Marketing
• Press releases

Awards

• 2010 Winner of Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Excellence awards, Health category
• 2010 Grand Prix, Data Strategy Awards, Department of Health
• 2010 Winner, Data Strategy Awards, Client Brand of the Year, Department of Health