In recent years, SHOOT has made a commitment to reporting on anti-smoking spots—whether these be national in the form of the American Legacy Foundation work out of Arnold Communications, Boston, and Crispin Porter+Bogusky Advertising (CP+B), Miami, or efforts by individual states. The latter include commercials for the health departments of: Massachusetts (via Arnold), Florida (from CP+B), Mississippi (out of Maris, West & Baker, Jackson, Miss.), Arizona (Riester-Robb, Phoenix) and California (via asher+partners, Los Angeles, until recently).
The spots have been a natural in terms of meriting industry coverage, because, for the most part, they have proven to be creatively worthwhile. Anti-tobacco work generated by the aforementioned agencies has generally made our page 7 feature lineup or "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery.
Even more significantly, much of this work has also showcased the power of advertising, the latest positive statistics coming out of California. The state’s anti-tobacco campaign began in ’88 after California voters approved Proposition 99, which raised the necessary funding by establishing a 25-cent-per-pack cigarette tax. This year’s $45 million media effort is part of a $114 million budget that also pays for school programs, grants to community groups and smoking research within the University of California system. Before this comprehensive campaign began, 25 percent of adult Californians smoked. Today, the figure is 18 percent—lower than in any other state except Utah. Last year, cigarette use by teenagers fell by more than a third in California. With 6.9 percent of the state’s teenagers smoking, California has the lowest rate in the nation.
Earlier this month, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study which found that California’s lung cancer rate decreased by 14 percent between 1988 and ’97, far outdistancing declines in other regions of the country. Quoted in the Los Angeles Times, CDC director Jeffrey P. Kaplan stated: "This study sends a clear message that an effective tobacco control program not only can reduce and prevent tobacco use, but may reduce lung … cancers and other health consequences attributed to tobacco use."
While the CDC report only goes through ’97, state officials said statistics for ’98 show that the healthier trend accelerated. Estimates are that this year will see some 3,000 to 4,000 fewer lung cancer cases, and 2,000 fewer deaths in California, than if the incidence level had remained at that of ’88.
And, according to some observers, California has turned up the attack mode in its advertising, unveiling a campaign that includes seven television spots. The TV package consists of general market commercials, as well as work targeting specific ethnic minorities (SHOOT, 12/8, p. 7). "California’s new ads graphically show the realities of tobacco use and the hypocrisy of the tobacco industry’s contrived and manipulative image campaign," said state health director Diana M. Bonta.
The ad agencies involved in the TV work were Paul Keye & Associates, Culver City, Calif.; Carol H. Williams Advertising, Oakland; Imada Wong, Los Angeles; and Greer, Margolis, Mitchell, Burns & Associates (GMMB&A), Santa Monica.
Four of the spots are done in documentary style and feature patients who underwent laryngectomy surgery as a result of smoking. Conceived by GMMB&A, the ads "strip away the veneer and show real human consequences [of tobacco use]," related agency creative director Mark Armour. "Part of the message is that sometimes there’s a fate worse than death. These people told the truth about smoking, and their message stops you in its tracks."
As we end the year, the industry’s anti-smoking work is a sobering, yet inspiring, reminder of the power of advertising to do good. See you in 2001.
