Ontario Convenience Stores Association conducts contraband tobacco campaign
By Adnews Staff
The Ontario Convenience Stores Association is conducting an out-of-home advertising campaign in Toronto intended to raise awareness of the negative impact of illegal cigarette sales. The effort includes 36 billboards in East York, North York, Scarborough and downtown Toronto. The one-month campaign includes two creative executions. One describes the various forms of packaging used to sell contraband cigarettes. The second focuses on the fines that can be extracted from buyers of illegal tobacco. "Governments have told us that education was a key tool in the war on illegal cigarettes," said Dave Bryans, CEO of the association. "Our goal with these billboards is to educate the public and draw their attention to the fact that contraband tobacco is illegal and comes in many forms. Illegal tobacco not only harms small businesses in Toronto, it harms the community by bypassing the tough regulation and age-checks designed to prevent minors from getting access to tobacco." The Ontario Convenience Stores Association represents approximately 7,500 convenience stores in the province.