New Anti Smoking Campaign launched today in the UK

Following Australia's world-first laws on cigarette and tobacco plain packaging, other countries could start becoming more aggressive in targeting tobacco company products with new legislation and publicity campaigns.

The UK could be the first to move as the department of health is set to invest £2.7 million in an integrated marketing campaign that will focus mainly on online and outdoor advertising. The ads being created are an attempt to “shock” smokers into quitting, the Dare-created spot explains that smoking 15 cigarettes could cause a mutation that leads to cancerous tumours.

This shock campaign is aimed at the generation of smokers that have not been exposed to hard-hitting campaigns but have grown up in an environment less accepting of smoking as a result of the 2007 smoking ban in public places and last year’s display ban in supermarkets. Although not as aggressive as the Australian approach (where all cigarette companies have been forced to replace their traditional packaging for uniform packaging with a generic drab olive green covering, gruesome pictures of diseased body parts and depictions of children and babies made ill by their parents' smoking), the campaign should be a very bold one both in terms of the message and the visuals used. (view video about Australian action below - WARNING: The Advert contains strong images)

In fact the campaign has been handed an “ex-kids” rating, which means it cannot be shown during children’s programming but could still be seen by children watching television with their parents and hence a number of complaints are expected to be received by the  Advertising Standards Authority from adults claiming the spot is upsetting to children.

The campaign launches today (28 December) and will run until mid-February. View the advert in the video below. (WARNING: The Advert contains strong images)