Information
January 1996
Health Canada's new anti-tobacco ads focus on environmental tobacco smoke
Background
Health Canada's comprehensive public awareness and information campaign is one component of the Tobacco Demand Reduction Strategy. The Strategy is a three- year initiative, funded by a health promotion surtax on tobacco manufacturing profits. It combines targeted activities including legislation, community action initiatives, research, public education and awareness for groups at risk.
To ensure the campaign is effective and consistent with other efforts across the country, Health Canada has collaborated with a working group composed of representatives from the provinces, territories and non- government organizations including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Non-Smokers' Rights Association, and the Canadian Council on Smoking and Health.
The media campaign will help create an environment that supports tougher public measures against tobacco use. Private and public sector partnerships will extend the campaign's reach through programs, promotions, event marketing, public relations and paid media advertising.
Market Research
Extensive market research was conducted to determine which messages and issues were relevant to the target groups. Testing included 524 quantitative interviews with adults and teens (both smokers and non- smokers) and qualitative research with 224 people (13-14 year olds and adults). The research was held in Halifax, Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Toronto, Kitchener, Winnipeg and Surrey, B.C. with both English and French groups.
Information Available
Based on this testing and the results of last year's campaign, Health Canada produced three new TV ads. One of the ads uses powerful family images to show the effects of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on non-smokers. The second depicts an actual bronchoscopy - the inside of a cancerous lung. The third ad emphasizes the many cancer-causing compounds in cigarettes including those labelled "light". The three TV ads promote a toll-free number (1-800-300-8449) through which callers may obtain fact sheets on issues such as ETS, tobacco sales to minors, smoking and indoor air quality, youth smoking, the benefits of quitting and the constituents of tobacco smoke. Callers will also receive a publication that lists smoking cessation programs available across Canada and a resource booklet on ETS.
Research Results
Upon completion of the ads, a final research test was conducted with groups in Montreal and Toronto to ensure the ads would be perceived as effective by Canadians in the target groups.
Research indicated that all the target groups, in both English and French, felt they had acquired new information from the TV ads, specifically with respect to the types of diseases which can be caused by ETS and the various chemicals found in tobacco. Youth responded particularly well to the image of a cancerous lung and all the groups liked the emotion demonstrated in "Vignettes". All the ads received high scores for catching the attention, having a powerful message, motivating individuals to think about quitting and making people less likely to take up smoking.
Timing of New Campaign
Starting January 15, the beginning of National Non-Smoking Week, "Vignettes" and "Lung" will begin airing on English and French networks across the country. "Poisons" will be aired one or two weeks later. The cost to develop the ads was approximately $450,000; the media buy will be about $1.8 million.
Evaluation of 1994 Campaign
Phase I of the media campaign (1995) was highly successful in generating awareness among the target groups, as demonstrated by the results of monitoring and tracking studies. In phase I, three TV ads ("Cocktail", "Not Much" and "Doll's House") and three print ads were developed.
Research results indicate the following:
- The advertising campaign was effective in its impact, with 88% of adults indicating that they had seen advertising about not smoking. This increases to 92% of adults and 98% of teens once the descriptions of the television and print ads are read to people.
- 92% of adults and 88% of teens agreed that the ads had successfully brought out the issue of the harmfulness of tobacco, and 88% of adults and 86% of teens agreed that the ads clearly got across the need to respect the health of non-smokers.
- 95% of adults and 94% of teens said the ads made them "stop and think" about the harmful effects of tobacco.
- When asked what is the likely influence of the ads on people "like themselves", a surprising high number - 59% of adults and 80% of teens - indicated the ads would have some influence on others. Somewhat fewer - 47% of adults and 79% of teens - indicated that the ads had some influence on them personally.
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