Truth Initiative, the nonprofit that’s been railing against cigarettes for years, is now determined to show us the evils of Juul.
With help from longtime agency partner 72andSunny, Truth is running a campaign that shows animals expressing their concerns around Juul “testing on humans” since the long-term effects of its nicotine devices are unknown.
It’s a timely enough effort considering the Centers for Disease Control is currently investigating a “cluster” of lung illnesses linked to e-cigarette use (the first death related to vaping was reported last week).
For the campaign, Truth was able to get Doug the Pug on board as a spokesperson, although the animatronic version of him that appears in the ad is pretty unsettling (puppymonkeybaby, anyone?!)
The spot first launched during MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs) earlier this week.
“Juul and other e-cigarette manufacturers are targeting and recruiting a new generation, most of whom didn’t smoke prior, putting their future health at great risk and treating them like lab rats while becoming fat cats, raking in billions of dollars,” Robin Koval, CEO and president of Truth Initiative, said in a statement. “Truth has a long history of calling out Big Tobacco for its deadly exploits, and Tested on Humans is the latest example which exposes just how little is known about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes. Our message to Juul and the entire tobacco industry remains clear: The safety and well-being of America’s youth are not for sale.”
Wonder what DDB thinks of this?