FCB and FDA show just how far vaping teens would go to keep their habit going in the newest evolution of ‘The Real Cost’ youth tobacco prevention campaign with a new creative launch titled ‘Addiction Isn’t Pretty’.
Teaming up with award-winning documentary filmmaker Katina Mercadante, the FCB New York campaign displays real-life situations surrounding teens who do whatever it takes to vape in a series of riveting commercials.
As the stories unfold, we learn that they are based on true events. Mercadante used non-actor teens to capture the true essence and authenticity of these crucial moments.
While many teens are finally realizing the true detriments of vaping and nicotine, over 27% of high school students were still using e-cigarettes in 2019. ‘Addiction Isn’t Pretty’, inspired by actual anecdotes pulled from social media, dives deep into the mindset of teens across the country and depicts ‘the real cost’ of vaping.
In one :30-second film, two friends are gossiping in a bathroom stall, when the friend accidentally drops her vape in the toilet. She fishes it out and proceeds to use it, much to her friend’s disgust.
In another, a teen athlete puts her teammates in second place as she searches furiously for her vape.
Another spot features a real-life family, in which the teenaged son anxiously waits for the right moment to swipe money from his mother’s purse. He finally does, but not without escaping his younger brother’s gaze
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“What drug is so powerful that it can drive you to steal money from your loved ones? This is one of the questions that ‘The Real Cost’ is asking with this campaign,” said Gary Resch, FCB New York EVP, executive creative director. “While teenagers are starting to realise the risks of vaping in very stark terms, ‘Addiction Isn’t Pretty’ seeks to amplify this change in perception and drive more provocative conversation among these at-risk kids.”
‘The Real Cost’, first developed by FCB in 2014, has successfully prevented nearly 587,000 youth from smoking cigarettes. For each teen prevented from becoming a smoker, there is an estimated $180,000 in cost savings – a total of over $53 billion in future medical costs averted, to date.
In 2018, FCB New York and FDA took on the challenge of launching the first national youth vaping education campaign to teach teens the ‘real cost’ of vaping.
CREDITS:
CLIENT: FDA
- DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION: Kathy Crosby
- DEPUTY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION: April Brubach
- DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH & EDUCATION: Gem Benoza
- HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS: Shay Abagat, Jasmin Bush and Alison Kulas
AGENCY: FCB New York
- PRESIDENT: Emma Armstrong
- CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Gabriel Schmitt
- EVP, EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Gary Resch
- ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: James Meiser and Tara Dobson
- EXECUTIVE INTEGRATED PRODUCER: Christopher Lenz
- EVP, GROUP MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR: Suzanne Santiago
- SVP, ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Dimas Adiwiyoto
- ACCOUNT DIRECTORS: Mallika Rao and Jared Shell
- ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR: Ally Morrow
- ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Ariana Tsapralis, Jonathan Skewes and Natalie Costa
- ASSISTANT ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Logan Paul
- PROJECT MANAGER: Nicole Lopez
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Park Pictures
- DIRECTOR: Katina Mercadante
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Cody Ryder
- PRODUCER: Jed Hubbard
- DP: Karina Silva
EDIT: Nomad
- EDITOR: Adam Schwartz
- ASSISTANT EDITOR: John Osment
- VFX / FINISHING: Alex Chizhov
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jennifer Lederman
- PRODUCER: Valerie McAndrews
COLOR: The Mill
- COLORIST: Damien Van Der Cruyssen
- COLOR PRODUCER: Megan Rumph
- COLOR ASSISTANTS: Elias Nousiopoulos, Andrew Ceen, David Franzo, Aaliyah Lambert and Calvin Bellas
MUSIC: Yessian
- EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Brian Yessian
- HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Michael Yessian
- CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Michael Dragovic
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Marlene Bartos
- SENIOR PRODUCER: Evelyn Brown
- PRODUCER: Matt Zinone
- SOUND DESIGN / MIX ENGINEER: Weston Fonger
- COMPOSER: Michael Dragovic
SOURCE: FCB New York
