The Brief:

Campaigns showing the prevalence and dangers of smoking, including amongst youth, abound. How then do we extend a clear message to a notoriously rebellious group such as young teens? And how do we make clear the very real challenge that exists: it is the perception of high smoking rates amongst youth – itself a fallacy – that often contributes to teens trying smoking for the first time? Our objective was to create greater awareness about the truth around teenage smoking, and use this information to effect behavioural changes amongst the youth.

What We Did:

We did our own research, exploring the mindset of our given youth – teens aged 13-18. We chose platforms of communication that not only had the power to go viral and to truly engage, but which would allow for a sense of ownership in the most relevant way. This would be their movement. We worked with academics, health care professionals, public personalities and social influencers, as well as “cool kids” that would help inspire other kids to get on board. We encouraged them to share their views, their “I don’t” selfies and their proclamations around not smoking through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, radio and across outdoor platforms. Activations welcomed kids to be a part of the movement. Most importantly we used word of mouth and word of mouse.

The Result:

We earned over USD50,000 in free publicity, and over 15,000 FB likes we had posts reaching up to 40,873 people worldwide. To date, we still receive enquiries from teens and influencers eager to get involved with this positive movement.

Below are pictures from the project.