Empower Parents to Prevent Youth Vaping | Clapboard Ad Archive

You're The Best Person

Description

In August 2024, the American Lung Association, in partnership with the Ad Council and creative agency Hill Holliday, launched the national integrated campaign "You're The Best Person" aimed at parents of children aged 10 to 14 to raise awareness about the dangers of youth vaping. This campaign addresses a critical public health issue where 2.1 million kids use e-cigarettes, and 4,000 start vaping daily, with many parents unaware of the significant health risks, including nicotine levels equivalent to a pack of cigarettes in one vape and long-term brain development harm leading to addiction. The campaign strategically uses nostalgia by showcasing how Gen X and Millennial parents received health messages growing up, emphasizing that parents are uniquely positioned to have open and honest conversations about vaping. Through two key creative assets—the "Narrator" and "Sitcom" videos—the message encourages parents to engage in direct dialogue with their children, reinforcing the importance of parental involvement in preventing tobacco use initiation. Dave Weist, Hill Holliday’s chief creative officer, highlights that the campaign employs relatable and attention-grabbing storytelling to break through the normalization of vaping and empower parents to take the lead in these crucial discussions. The campaign utilizes a broad media mix including broadcast, radio, digital, social, out-of-home, and print, with all media support donated pro bono, amplifying reach nationwide. To further enhance engagement, a diverse group of social media influencers including healthcare professionals and family influencers share content promoting the campaign’s message. Heidi Arthur from the Ad Council notes that the use of humor and nostalgia drives home the connection only parents can forge with their children on health risks like e-cigarettes. Parents are directed to TalkAboutVaping.org for valuable resources such as factual information and conversation guides to support these talks. Since its initial launch in 2024, the campaign has generated over 5.5 million visits to the website, demonstrating significant impact as parents exposed to the PSAs are 30% more likely to discuss vaping risks with their children. Collectively, the campaign has secured $98.9 million in donated media and achieved over 10.5 billion impressions across multiple platforms, underscoring a powerful and sustained effort to combat youth vaping through parental empowerment.

Credits

Client

American Lung Association

Agency

Hill Holliday

Chief Creative Officer

Dave Weist / Peter Nicholson

Creative Director Art Director

Kevin Daley

Creative Director Copywriter

Marc Hartzman

Producer

Melissa Hopple, Brenna Shelton, Eriks Krumin, Andrew Sulliman, Nicole Gomez, Julia Williams, Nicole Murray, Ken Chase, Alexandra Garcia Ortiz

Account Management

Megan Farish, Mara Gabe, Hannah Strashun, Brandi Piper, Brittney Crosby

Director

Perlorian Brothers

Cinematographer

André Pienaar’s

Crew

Niva Chow, Nick Dorman

Photographer

O’shane Howard

Editor

Dan Maloney

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Campaign Proposition

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Competitive Planks

Truth Initiative – Market Positioning Truth Initiative positions itself as the leading youth-focused tobacco and vaping prevention organization, leveraging bold, edgy campaigns that resonate with teens and young adults. They combine innovative digital engagement, research-driven messaging, and community activism to drive behavior change, emphasizing youth empowerment to reject tobacco and nicotine products.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Market Positioning The CDC adopts an authoritative public health stance, providing comprehensive data, research, and evidence-based guidelines on tobacco control and vaping prevention. Their campaigns focus on educating broad populations with credible information and policy advocacy, supporting systemic changes and community-level interventions to reduce youth vaping and tobacco use.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids – Market Positioning Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids differentiates itself through aggressive advocacy and policy change efforts aimed at reducing tobacco use among youth. They combine grassroots mobilization, legal action, and public education, driving legislative reforms and corporate accountability to curb youth access to tobacco and vaping products.

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