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.”
CreditsClient California Department of Public Health, California Tobacco Control Program Agency Duncan Channon Anne Elisco-Lemme, creative director; MJ Deery, lead copywriter; Jennifer Kellogg, lead designer; Marty Bonocorso, Amanda Burger, Miranda Maney, copywriters; Melissa Ploysophon, Colleen Horne, Chris Masse, art directors; Keenan Hemje, Christine Gomez, sr. broadcast producers; Eric Kozak, sr. digital producer; Emily Sarale, producer; Diana Courcier, sr. art producer; andy Berkenfield, chief strategy officer; Kelleen Peckham, strategy director; Adam Flynn, strategist. Production MJZ Will Hoffman & Julius Metoyer, directors; David Zander, president; Eriks Krumins, sr. exec producer; Suza Horvat, producer. Editorial Cabin Edit Isaac Chen, editor; Carr Schilling, exec producer; Michelle Dorsch, producer; Kurt Zhuang, editor & finishing. Audio One Union Studios Joaby Deal, sound engineer.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More