‘Quit smoking and quit the crap that goes with it’ says NSW and Victoria cancer council campaign
The Cancer Institute NSW and Cancer Council Victoria have joined forces for a new campaign which urges smokers to quit by highlighting the negative aspects of the habit.
From being embarrassed to give a hug to having bad breath, the 30 second TVC shows different smokers struggling with the habit’s side effects.
The ad concludes with a voiceover which says “quit smoking and you quit all the crap that goes with it”, followed by the tagline: “You quit. You win.”
The ad was created by Melbourne-based agency Three Wise Men in collaboration with The Cancer Institute NSW and Cancer Council Victoria.
It’s the second TVC to come from the agency since it was appointed to the account in late 2016.
“The health aspects of smoking are well understood, so it’s important to illustrate other lesser known consequences. Dramatising the social impact of smoking is new territory”, said Three Wise Men managing partner Randal Glennon.
Sarah McGill, director of Cancer Screening and Prevention at the Cancer Institute NSW said: “Smoking rates in NSW have been steadily falling over the past few decades, now sitting at 15 percent. Mass media anti-tobacco campaigns like this have certainly played a part in this success.
“We are taking a different approach with this campaign. This engaging creative complements our more graphic health warnings, with a positive look at the many benefits of quitting smoking.”
Rebecca Cook, senior manager, media and communications at Cancer Council Victoria added: “With ‘Win’ we are focusing on the immediate positive gains to be had by quitting right now such as being inside at the pub with your friends instead of outside alone in the cold, or having more money in your pocket right now. We know that public education campaigns like this and the price of tobacco are the two key motivators for smokers to quit, so we look forward to seeing the impact Win will have.”
This campaign should have some effect on many adult smokers – let’s hope so, It doesn’t suggest to all of Australia’s 2,600,000 daily smokers that they are immediately affecting the hearts and lungs of everyone nearby, especially family and friends. Smelling bad isn’t really the main problem – it’s what smokers (nicotine dependants) are doing to others with the toxins in their second-hand smoke that is the biggest problem.
Let’s hope that this campaign encourages another chunk of that 2,600,000 to escape from Big Tobacco’s clutches.
We do realise that different approaches are sometimes needed, but there aren’t many reminders in the media of the basic rights of non-smokers. We can block our ears from loud noises, and our eyes from bright lights, but we can’t block our mouths and noses from breathing in the potentially deadly toxins in second-hand tobacco smoke from Australia’s 2,600,000 daily smokers.
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