O&M CAMPAIGN KICKS BUTTS
By Adnews Staff
Toronto-based Ogilvy & Mather will unleash a campaign later this month with the goal of protecting children from second-hand smoke. Created pro bono for Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, the campaign uses TV, print and transit ads. It also uses a Web site. The 30-second TV spot makes use of several cigarette advertising clichés to grab viewers' attention. It starts off with a close-up of a handsome, rugged man smoking. The voice-over says: "If you want a refreshing smoke . . . A taste that'll hit you like a mountain Chinook comin' across a western plain . . . If you want the smooth taste of the outdoors . . ." The man is then revealed to be smoking in a bath robe on his front porch. The voice-over continues: " . . . Then smoke outside. Because smoking indoors makes your kids sick." Similarly, the print and transit ads use headlines that seem to endorse smoking. But the ad copy goes on to list the harmful effects smoking can have on children's health. The ads will run as public service announcements in English-Canadian markets. Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada is a national health organization made up of almost 1,500 doctors, with the goal of reducing tobacco-related illnesses.