We’d like to speak to the smokers for a minute. No, wait, don’t recoil just yet. We know you’re probably sick of being lectured to, or constantly being bombarded with pictures of rotted lungs and teeth.

Instead of the doom-and-gloom stop smoking ads people are used to, the Ontario Ministry of Health enlisted BBDO Toronto to created a pair of TV ads that take a lighthearted approach, getting on smokers’ level instead of talking down to them. In the ads, regular people try their hands at household tasks and fail, sometimes spectacularly, on their first attempt, only to eventually get it right by the end of the spot.

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It’s all based on the insight that most smokers over 35 are well aware of the dangers of smoking and have tried to quit before, and are more afraid of failing to quit again than anything, so the spots take more of an encouraging tone to try and give smokers the perseverance to keep trying.

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Credits:

Brand: Ontario Ministry of Health
Agency: BBDO Toronto
Todd Mackie – Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director
Mike Schonberger – Senior Art Director
Matt Hubbard – Senior Copywriter
Paul Forrest – Account Director
Zach Kula – Account Executive
Marie-Pierre Touré – Producer
Production: Partners Film
Michael Downing – Director
Gigi Realini – Executive Producer
Erik Wilson – Producer
Colour & Transfer: Alter Ego
Post & Audio: Ricochet Post
Mary Beth O’Dell – Executive Producer
Igor Boros – Creative Director
Dan McCarthy – Flame Artist
Jack Philips – Sr. Editor/Motion Graphics Animator
Mike Rosnick – Audio Production Manager