Getting to adults through their kids is nothing new in strategic advertising circles. Spots airing during Saturday morning cartoons, for example, have been cause for controversy to varying degrees, promoting toys and sugar-laden cereals, which kids ask—if not beg—their parents to buy.
However, when deployed by Maris, West & Baker Advertising, Jackson, Miss., the same dynamic of grown-ups being influenced by their offspring can have a positive, healthy benefit for all concerned. And in this case, kids aren’t being used to make us consumers—but to make us stop consuming a life-threatening product, tobacco.
Part of a two-spot campaign, "Dress Up," opens on proud parents catching a glimpse of their daughter playing dress-up. The lass is in a tea dress and talking like an adult. We hear her side of the conversation with an imaginary grown-up friend. "You’re too much … Oh, this old thing," the girl says, referring to the dress she’s wearing, as if having just received a compliment on how good it looks on her.
But the parents’ delight turns to fear and concern when their daughter says, "Why yes, I’d like one," at which point she grabs an imaginary cigarette and makes smoke-puffing gestures.
It’s at this moment that the mother realizes the damage she’s doing as a role model for her daughter. The mom says out loud, "I really have to quit."
A voiceover intervenes, "When you realize it’s time to quit, call us. We’ll help because when you get help, you’re twice as likely to quit smoking for good."
At that juncture, the voiceover reads a supered phone number, which appears on screen (1-800-244-9100), along with a logo for Tobacco Quitline Mississippi. The Quitline is made possible by funding from Maris, West & Baker’s longstanding client, The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi.
Up until now, Maris, West & Baker’s anti-tobacco messages have largely targeted youngsters. Typically, The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi had been deploying commercials from the Center for Disease Control’s media campaign office in order to reach adults. Now, that client has opted to have Maris, West & Baker take a crack at breaking through to grown-ups with a tobacco-cessation message.
The other TV spot in the campaign, "Phone Call," similarly tries to influence adults through their kids. This ad opens as a little boy is dialing a number on a portable phone with a mischievous look on his face. As the number he dialed starts ringing, he hurriedly places the phone next to his napping mother’s ear. Groggily she awakes and asks who is on the line. "Yes, I’m a smoker," replies the mom to the voice on the phone. "Yeah, I’m ready to quit," she continues, as she gives her son a knowing look. The toll-free number then appears on screen, tagged by the Tobacco Quitline Mississippi logo.
The Maris, West & Baker creative team consisted of creative director Eric Hughes, associate creative director/copywriter/producer Marc Leffler and art director Keith Fraser.
Both Tobacco Quitline ads were directed, shot and edited by Jim Dollarhide of Dollarhide Films, Jackson. Brian Hilburn produced for Dollarhide Films.
Colorist was Peggy Clark-Holden of Video Post & Transfer, Dallas. Audio engineer/sound technician was Sam Watson of Sound by Sam, Hattiesburg, Miss.
