As part of their commitment to helping people lead tobacco-free lives, CVS Health sought to connect with at-risk audiences to initiate behavior change and reverse the trend towards tobacco. Partnering with the nation’s leading anti-tobacco and youth organizations like The American Cancer Society, The American Lung Association and DoSomething.org, CVS wanted to educate American youth about the dangers of tobacco use and motivate audiences #BeTheFirst tobacco-free generation.
When research showed that American youth were more impacted by social media than television or movies, we knew exactly where to start the conversation – in their newsfeeds. We concepted and executed a multiphase strategy that leveraged snackable social content in the form of powerful imagery, impactful graphics and engaging animations to connect with current and potential tobacco users in the digital space. The goal? Educate youth about the benefits of a tobacco-free life and inspire them to join the fight against tobacco.
But we didn’t stop there. Our efforts reinforced the campaign with two activations of Smart Campuses Quit – CVS’ partnership with the American Cancer Society that awarded grants to 20 U.S. colleges and universities to accelerate and expand the adoption and implementation of smoke- and tobacco-free campus initiatives.
The campaign was launched by CVS Health and their partners through promoted and organic Tweets and Facebook posts, which were widely shared by scores of third-party organizations, national and local media outlets and major policy influencers. This social sharing results in thousands of unique visitors to cvshealth.com and more than 30 original stories generated in broadcast media and major publications including USA Today, Fortune, Wall Street Journal and Forbes. To date, 146 grants have been delivered to colleges and universities across the U.S.
