Each of the “Give It A Ponder” films feature a teenager faced with the dilemma of sending a potentially mean, or inappropriate text message or photo. James Lipton appears in each spot to narrate the teenager’s inner monologue. He then unexpectedly takes off his iconic beard and puts it on the teenager’s face, transferring his wisdom through his facial hair. Each teen strokes their new beard while they take a minute to “ponder” (or “think about”) the consequences of the text. Ultimately each teen makes the right choice and does not send the text message. Lipton signs off with the advice: “Before you text, give it a ponder.”

The “Give It A Ponder” campaign came to life with the help of James Lipton and the iconic motion of stroking one’s beard while thinking. The campaign launched online with a multifaceted website featuring an animated, talking beard. There teens could watch the films, connect with the Ponder Beard on Facebook, follow it on Twitter and get more information about mobile harassment on a Wikipedia page. Simultaneously, posters popped up in malls and on streets featuring teens stroking beards while thinking about the consequences of an inappropriate text. The films aired nationwide in cinemas before the teen blockbuster Twilight New Moon. They were also seen in schools on Channel 1 as well as on MTV and ABC Family. Additionally, the “Ponder Me App,” a free video chat plug-in, allowed anyone to grow a realistic looking beard. This app is the first-of-its-kind, combining facial recognition technology and a video chat effect.

To date, “Give It A Ponder” has garnered over 153 million media impressions in 167 countries. Independent testing (Millward Brown) shows that 87% of teens say that the campaign makes them think, “I should take time to think before sending a text because it could have negative consequences.” Buzz about “Give It A Ponder” has been featured in a wide variety of media, including The New York Post, NY Magazine, The Washington Post Online, NPR, G4 TV and on popular websites like Jezebel, Gawker, Vanity Fair and Notcot.