Situation: Quebec is the province with the most smokers in Canada, with the habit starting at an average age of 12—when self-doubt and peer pressure are at an all-time high. While young people know smoking is harmful, they perceive the consequences as a distant concern. But there's no time to waste, as the younger they start smoking, the more serious the consequences: people who start smoking in their teens reduce their life expectancy by an average of 22 years.

Brief: Develop a compelling anti-smoking campaign that resonates with 11-13 year olds in Quebec. Traditional anti-smoking messages often fail to connect with this age group, so the campaign needed to be innovative and engaging, using methods that would make the dangers of smoking feel immediate and personal.

Objectives: Raise awareness about the potential consequences of tobacco use on physical appearance and keep young people from picking up the devastating habit.

To prevent smoking among 11-13 year olds in Quebec, we developed a TikTok filter that distorts the user’s face to show the devastating effects on their appearance, like yellowed teeth, dark circles, eye irritation, hair loss, and dull skin. The filter delivers provides a highly personalized and engaging experience, making the long-term consequences of smoking feel immediate and real. To amplify the impact, we supported the filter with additional touchpoints—including posters, social films, and social media posts—featuring young people trying out the filter and reacting with shock and horror. These placements invited even more young people to engage with the filter, allowing them to experience firsthand the potential consequences of smoking.

Data gathering and insights: Research indicated that young people struggle to project themselves into the future, making it challenging to relate to the long-term health effects of smoking. Additionally, we found that 11-13 year olds are highly conscious of their appearance and heavily influenced by social media trends. According to a 2021 study, more than 80% of Canadian girls aged 10 to 17 modify their bodies or faces using apps.

Target audience: 11-13 year olds in Quebec, a demographic highly active on TikTok.

Relevance to platform: TikTok is the preferred platform for the target age group, making it ideal for delivering a highly personalized interactive experience.

Approach: Since young people can't project the long-term health consequences of smoking and don't prioritize their physical health, we decided to focus on something they do care about: their appearance.

Implementation: The AI TikTok filter was developed to distort users' faces, showing the possible physical effects of smoking. This was complemented by social media content, TV ads, posters, and an educational website.

Timeline: The campaign launched in May 2023 and ran until August 2023.

Placement: The primary platform was TikTok, where the filter was introduced. Additional placements included social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, TV spots, and OOH in Quebec.

Scale: The campaign was deployed across Quebec in English and French.

Reach & engagement: 83% of young Quebecers (over 400,000 users) tried the filter. Additionally, the filter ranked in the top 5% of filter creators worldwide on TikTok. Website visits surged by 500% over the previous year.

Sales: As a non-profit campaign, there were no direct sales targets. However, the campaign successfully shifted perception, aligning with its educational and awareness goals.

Achievement against business targets: The campaign achieved a 25% decrease in the perception of smoking as "cool" and a 30% increase in the perception of smoking as "gross."