According to the American Lung Association, 2.1 million kids use e-cigarettes and 4,000 kids start vaping every day. Despite the prevalence of youth vaping, many parents arenโt aware of the risks associated with e-cigarettes, such as, one vape can contain the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, and nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain and lead to a lifetime of addiction to tobacco products.
The American Lung Association and the Ad Council have thus launched a national campaign to help parents of kids 10-14 years old understand that theyโre the best person to talk to their children about the dangers of vaping. The campaign includes โYouโre The Best Personโ creative assets in broadcast, radio, digital, social, out-of-home and print, developed pro bono by creative agency Hill Holliday.
The campaign includes two humorous public service films directed by the Perlorian Brothers via MJZ–including this one titled โNarratorโ–in which health-related messages are made through old-fashioned means that donโt resonate with kids today. In the case of โNarrator,โ the title character from yesteryearโs health class films appears in a youngsterโs bedroom to talk about the perils of vaping, citing statistics and sharing other info. The kid doesnโt relate to the narrator, underscoring that the person most able to break through and start a meaningful conversation is mom or dad.
โVaping is one of those issues thatโs been normalized. We wanted to point out the real health risks of vaping and do so in a way that someone might even pay attention to,โ said Dave Weist, chief creative officer at Hill Holliday. โStill, this campaign is directed to the parents. When it comes to having a conversation about vaping, donโt let someone else do that job. The best person to talk to your kid about vaping is you.โ
The PSAs will appear nationwide in time and space donated by the media.
โOur ongoing partnership with the Lung Association continues to bring critical awareness to the youth vaping crisis nationwide,โ said Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council. โUsing the power of humor and nostalgia, our latest work reminds parents everywhere that no one can connect with their child like they can โ especially when it comes to talking about the dangers of e-cigarettes.โ
The campaign encourages parents to visit TalkAboutVaping.org for resources to help them speak to their kids about vaping, including a โGet the Factsโ page and step-by-step conversation guide.
Credits
Client American Lung Association Stacy Dilling, chief marketing officer; Kim Lacina, VP, marketing & communications; Daniel Jason, sr. director, marketing & communications. Client Ad Council Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer; Hannah Strashun, VP, group campaign director; Brandi Piper, campaign director; Brittney Crosby, assistant campaign manager; Anuar Saab, director, strategy & evaluation. Agency Hill Holliday Dave Weist, Peter Nicholson, chief creative officers; Kevin Daley, EVP, group creative director, art director; Marc Hartzman, EVP, group creative director, copywriter; Melissa Hopple, sr. integrated producer; Brenna Shelton, integrated producer. Production MJZ Perlorian Brothers, director; Andre Pienaar, DP; Eriks Krumins, exec producer; Andrew Sullivan, producer; Niva Chow, assistant line producer. Editorial Nomad Editorial Company Dan Maloney, editor; Julia Williams, exec producer; Nicole Murray, sr. post producer; Nick Dornan, assistant editor. Music Hill Holliday Jim English, creative director & composer. Audio Post Rumblestrip Tom Love, VO recordist & miser; Ken Chase, sr. sound producer. Color Company 3 Tim Masick, sr. colorist; Alexandra Garcia Ortiz, exec producer. Cast Taytem Douglas, Nicole Mitchell, Anthony Botelho
Top Spot of the Week: Director Jake Scott, Paramount Brand Studios “Make Your Gameday Epic” In “Gladiator II”-Inspired Pepsi Spot
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