The Sydney office of WiTH Collective has launched an integrated campaign urging non-smokers to show empathy towards smokers who are to trying to quit.
The campaign encourages non-smokers them to seek help from their GP on ‘World No Nagging Day’ – a day created to encourage non-smokers to offer support instead of judgement.
Developed for Pfizer and launching on World No Tobacco Day, the campaign is centred around the insight that whilst the friends and family of smokers have a strong desire for them to quit, they don’t understand the complexity of nicotine addiction – leading to unhelpful behaviours, such as nagging.
It illustrates that smokers need their support network to quit nagging and show support and encouragement if they want to truly help them kick their habit.
WiTH Collective developed ‘The Reverse Intervention’, a short film targeted at non-smokers which aims to change the way Australians think about quitting smoking.
In the film, the six non-smokers describe their frustrations and concerns for the smokers in their lives, and hear from a drug and addiction specialist about the complexity of nicotine addiction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E7cTc9vGyM
The emotional video gives a voice to their relatives – the smokers – who describe the difficulties they face with their addiction. Finally, both parties pledge to quit together on World No Nagging Day.
The integrated campaign centres around the four-minute video, and is supported by a 15 and 30-second TVC, out-of-home advertising, display, social media advertising, and content.
Isabel Chan, senior brand manager at Pfizer, said: “We’re really proud to be able to place our patients at the centre of this campaign to bring to light the struggles smokers go through in their journey.
“We do hope that the friends and families of smokers can understand and appreciate the support required and learn from this campaign how they can really help.”
Steve Coll, chief creative officer of WiTH Collective, said: “To encourage the remaining 10 per cent of smokers in Australia to quit, things have to change. Repeatedly nagging smokers, whether through word of mouth or advertising, is one of these things.
“The campaign looks at the problem from a different perspective, aiming to build a sense of empathy and understanding so that together, smokers and non-smokers can end two unhealthy habits in one go: smoking and nagging.
“Our hope is that this campaign helps people see that seeking help from a doctor can be the best first step in quitting smoking.”
