Even if it’s a quit-smoking campaign. What do you think?
I came across the photo below, and I thought, that’s a really well done stop smoking campaign image “Kill a cigarette and save a life.” Great artistic picture. And yet it kinda gave me a brief urge for a cigarette. And I say “kinda” because I’m more or less WAY past the stage of craving one. And I thought, that’s weird, but I find something cool about the whole image. She’s an attractive girl, has a freshly lit cigarette in her hand, smoke wafting around her head. Yeah I notice it’s a noose, but it doesn’t have much of a negative impact on me. Not like the photo below it of the stinky butts. The noose photo is very clever, but does it serve it’s purpose?
And then I began to remember how I felt when I first quit. And how great it was to finally get through a couple of hours without thinking about a cigarette. Relief! Only to go to town and see a butt on the ground, or someone smoking. And WHAM, the cravings would hit hard. Eventually we get over that. But early on it’s difficult when one is visually brought back to their habit. That’s why it’s so important to immediately change one’s focus when that happens. Simply turn you head and along with it, your mind.
I think all those oh-so-clever ad campaigns with their visually intellectual message attempts are not nearly as effective as a simple photo of an ashtray full of butts.
But what do YOU think about that smoke noose photo? And I’m particularly interested in what the new quitters feel. Am I off the wall in my comments about this? Does seeing that cigarette, and the expression on her face, tilt of her head - draw you in or is the noose (and the tiny words bottom right) enough to deflect that thought and turn you off toward smoking. Does it help or hurt your quit? And why?
Sometimes I wonder if these types of ad campaigns are paid for by the tobacco companies.
Isn't this a more powerful image?
