Smoking campaign targets football fans

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 | By David Burrows

Set to run across major national newspapers and TalkSport’s weekly magazine in November, the ads are football-themed, with a message that “going smoke free allows you to get more out of your game”.

The straplines take the form of familiar football chants, such as: ‘We’re not smoking, we’re not smoking, we’re not smoking any more.’

There will also be a direct mail pack and locker stickers for 5-a-side venues.

A website will have a range of tools to encourage people to quit smoking, with visitors able to ‘sign’ for Smokefree United and enter a Smokefree United League, which ranks the number of quitters from each football team.

The press campaign was devised by Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw. The target demographic is male smokers in England who work in routine and manual jobs, are interested in football and have children living at home.

“Male smokers provide a unique challenge as traditional health messages often don’t motivate them to quite,” says a DoH spokesperson. “This campaign demonstrates the positive, tangible benefits that quitting smoking offers football fans - be it more money in their pocket or the fitness to have a kick about with their friends and family.”

The campaign follows the TV ads launched by the DoH this month that feature real children talking about their concern for their parent’s health, and encouraging them to give up smoking.