Brandweek looks at the anti-smoking forces move into the social media space.
The American Legacy Foundation’s national smoking prevention campaign aimed at youth tackles social networking Web sites with the latest phase of the “Infect truth” campaign.
Starting this week, materials like truth wallpaper, branded bumper stickers and even ads that can be affixed onto the backs of cockroaches (fake ones, of course) are available for downloading through MySpace, Hi5, Bebo, Piczo and Xanga. Teens also can grab “Infect truth” wallpaper and case covers for their Sony PlayStation consoles—the first time truth has produced creative for the portable gaming device.
The combined reach of social networking sites exceeds 59 billion page views per month, and truth intends to tap into the viral magic of that medium with forward-to-a-friend technology.
“With declining funds, truth seeks to put truth messages in nontraditional, easily accessible and effective mediums such as digital media,” Joseph Martyak, ALF’s evp-marketing, communications, and public policy, said. “The tobacco industry spent more than $15.1 billion in 2003 marketing its products in the U.S. alone. We can never match that spending, so instead we stay ahead by being more cutting edge and going directly to teens in media and at places where they naturally gather.”
I wonder if Martyak is aware of the fact that the median age of MySpace users is 35.
David… it’s funny that with declining funds, TRUTH now seeks to put messages in nontraditional mesdiums. Yes, TRUTH is correct that the tobacco industry is spending at a far greater clip than TRUTH or any state anti-tobacco movement for that matter. So now they take limited, shrinking funds and clog up the digital space. How about some co-creation guys. How about investing in some teens out there already doing something about it. And enabling them to have some peer-to-peer discussions instead of beating the same old tobacco manipulation drum over and over.