This spot is part of the new “Flavors Hook Kids” campaign created by agency Duncan Channon for the California Department of Health’s CA Tobacco Control Program, which aims to expose the tobacco industry’s latest deception: using flavors and e-cigarette products that masquerade as snacks to hook kids when their brains are most susceptible to addiction. Four out of five kids who’ve used tobacco started with a flavored product–with 15,000+ flavors (and counting) on the market.
The Hoffman/Metoyer duo–consisting of Will Hoffman and Julius Metoyer who garnered their first career DGA Award nomination earlier this year–directed a series of public service spots, including “Donuts,” via production house MJZ. “Donuts” presents home videos taken by parents showing their son enjoying donuts and other sweet treats from an early age, laying the foundation for his favorite flavors over the years. Fast forward to today and we find that Big Tobacco has also been keeping a vigilant eye on our kids’ favorites as the boy has grown to a teen who’s experimenting with vaping, drawn to such flavors as donuts and his preferred cereal.
Anne Elisco-Lemme, executive creative director at Duncan Channon, said, “Our kids are magical to us. We joyfully document their every moment as they try out the world for the first time, including what foods they love and don’t. And as they get older, we are still there cheering them on–though at arms’ length as most teens prefer –as we get glimpses into their new secret world as teens. Our creative reveals the disturbing truth that during these two critical times in our children’s lives, the tobacco companies are also watching and covertly applauding the power of flavor to attract and addict our kids to their products.”
