Truth Initiative and Mojo Supermarket were awarded the Grand Effie at the 2023 U.S. Effie Awards for the anti-vaping campaign, “Depression Stick + Breath of Stress Air.” Gale, Allegiance Group and Crux Research also contributed to the campaign.
The award, judged by a panel of marketing and media professionals, recognizes the most effective marketing campaign in the past year.
This was Mojo Supermarket's first major campaign for Truth Initiative after the Brooklyn, New York-based agency won creative AOR duties in 2021 for the nonprofit organization that has a history of provoking the tobacco industry through clever ads.
But a new challenge emerged for Truth Initiative in recent years as e-cigarettes grew in popularity, especially among teens.
This led to Mojo's campaign that challenged the billion dollar e-cigarette industry by tapping into the insight that vaping affected the mental health of its users.
Rather than a traditional PSA, the agency created a fake vape company called Depression Stick. The campaign included teasers across social and broadcast media that asked questions such as, “Why be happy when you can be sad?” Out-of-home activations included billboards that proclaimed “Depression Stick Coming Soon!” The agency also launched a series of films featuring a “marketing executive” from the fictitious company attempting to trick real influencers, lobbyists, ad agencies and gas station clerks into selling the product—which, unsurprisingly, didn’t work.
The results of the campaign were far from depressing. In the first week alone, the campaign garnered 106 million video views, 1.4 million social engagements and 357,000 visitors to the campaign website. Since the campaign's launch, Truth says it has seen a 31% surge in sign-ups for its “This is Quitting” program, which helped more than 500,000 teens and young adults quit vaping nicotine.
Last month, the popular e-cigarette maker Juul agreed to pay $462 million to six states and the District of Columbia to resolve lawsuits and investigations regarding its marketing to children.
“Depression Stick + Breath of Stress Air” also won Effies in the David vs. Goliath and Disease Awareness & Education: Non-Profit categories.