72andSunny launched the latest in its long-running anti-smoking campaign for truth, this time telling tobacco companies to “#StopProfiling” in a new 30-second spot.
The ad opens with correspondent Amanda Seales sharing that a recent study found that low income neighborhoods are more likely to have tobacco retailers near schools than other neighborhoods. She adds that tobacco companies took their case to keep advertising tobacco near schools to the Supreme Court, referring to a 2001 case. “It’s not a coincidence,” she says near the spot’s conclusion, “it’s profiling.”
The new effort manages to raise an issue with tobacco companies that young viewers may not have considered. That’s a welcome departure from the painful attempt to be hip we saw with “#Squadless” last summer and a more compelling argument than last year’s “#CATmageddon.” By concluding with a call for viewers to “call it out” with the hashtag “#StopProfiling” the spot also manages to invite engagement and spread the message beyond viewers who see the ad. It’s certainly a step in the right direction for the campaign and hopefully one 72andSunny can build on going forward.