Got a Light, Bulb?

Anti-smoking ads are as plentiful as butts at a nicotine convention. And they’re often mocked by the intended target audience for trying too hard.

But this Thai anti-smoking campaign from Ogilvy has a core idea that grabs even smokers in the act.

It didn’t take graphs, spooky facts, scare tactics, or even riffs on classic cigarette ads, as some anti-smoking spots have done.  It simply highlighted an age-old tack of having those addicted warn others not to make the same mistake.

The effect hits hardest when the audience sees the light bulb go off for the smokers – as these planted kids cause the smokers to simply warn themselves.

As we see it, this ‘advice to kids’ angle might be an interesting insight to help highlight a number of things adults do that they’d warn kids against doing.  Bike helmets, anyone?

So yes, kids say the darndest things.  And they also can cause us to question the darned adults we have become.