photo credit: John Fraissinet

To feel the full impact of this piece I suggest listening to some Dylan.

The Legacy For Health, the Ad Council and the Ex campaign have joined up for a PR campaign aimed at convincing smokers to quit. Imagine that. A PR campaign to convince people to declare their liberty and independence from smoking cigarettes. A full 180-degree about face by an industry famously known for convincing young women to march down the streets of New York holding their cigarettes high in a proud declaration of their independence and freedom.

According to Ad Age, the PR campaign will focus on tactics that will motivate smokers to quit, including  public service announcements, posters, and an air freshener takeaway campaign. And to tap into the here and now, iPhone users will be able to install an iPhone application starting this Month created by Ex with a message to stop smoking. With 6 million people worldwide dying from the affects of cigarette smoking, the campaign aims to help smokers “relearn” how to live without the freedom sticks.

I’m not sure air fresheners are going to do the trick. It takes a lot of work to break an addiction and even more to change a habit. But it makes for good PR, which I suppose is a start. Likely, Ex will need to go back to the beginning and channel the spirit of Bernays to find a way to change the hearts of people and empower them to march to a different tune.