The TV spot drives home the message that smoking leads to death in a brutally simple manner -- the TVC opens to the sound of a match being struck to light a cigarette. As it burns to the end, the camera zooms in and what should be the cigarette butt transforms into the lid of a coffin. The line, 'In case you forgot', written in cigarette ash, appears in the next frame followed by the fund's quit smoking hotline number. "The subject matter demanded you do something that is strong, simple and to the point," David Szabo, TBWA\ Hong Kong creative director, said. "There are a lot of anti-smoking messages which have gone beyond the association with death, but for a lot of people, the end result of smoking is death."
The spot will air on local terrestrial broadcaster TVB, with outdoor and press support.
Unlike the fund's campaign in June -- 'The beauty of smoking...cancer' -- which was aimed at Hong Kong women, the latest phase would be targeted at both sexes.
The group plans to post the TVC on its website -- www.cancer-fund.org -- and will also announce campaign details in its newsletter, which is distributed to more than 50,000 readers.