London - Saatchi & Saatchi X London has launched a new viral campaign for the stop smoking charity QUIT, with the aim to raise awareness about lung health and drive smokers to call the charity’s dedicated QUITline which provides counselling and support for smokers across the country.
The campaign will be spearheaded by three 15 second animated films, the first of which went live on 11th February. The controversial films, which depict darkly comic animations of ‘loony lungs’ willingly throwing themselves into increasingly dangerous situations, will be supported by a range of activities including experiential and ambient marketing. As part of the campaign, the ‘Loony Lungs’ will be appearing in cities across the UK at key sites such as pubs, cafes and near London Underground stations.
Saatchi & Saatchi X continues its award winning relationship with QUIT which has gone from strength to strength over the last five years, including D&AD recognition and several MCCA wins. The agency, renowned for its shopper marketing expertise, uses insight into consumer behaviour to remove barriers to purchase. For QUIT it helps overcome barriers to people quitting smoking. By using humour to highlight the futility of smoking and the damage that it does to your lungs, the campaign aims to inspire people to stop smoking for good, starting with an initial call to the charity’s QUITline. The Saatchi & Saatchi X creative team was Sarah Taylor and Maxine Hodgson. The campaign was brought to life with illustration and animation by Karen Cheung through animation house, Jelly.
Saatchi & Saatchi X Creative Director, Ant Melder said:
"In our work with QUIT, we've found that a lecturing approach is easy for smokers to ignore. For this campaign, we've used dark humour to grab their attention while still keeping an extremely serious message at the core of the communication."
Steve Crone, Chief Executive of QUIT stated:
"This campaign has a serious message. One person in seven is affected by lung disease in the UK. Early prevention and diagnosis can really save lives. Ring a QUIT advisor now on 0800 00 22 00 to see if you are at risk and to get support."