Everybody knows smoking is gross—even smokers. Chances are, every time they buy a pack, they wish it were the last. This is how I felt before I quit smoking in 2005. It was the same cycle of addictive thinking that led to physical dependence and self-destruction as my heroin addiction, on a less dramatic and more socially acceptable (well, at least legal) level. I tried quitting several times before it stuck. There was always some social event or stressful situation that sent me back to 7-11 for a pack of Marlboro Light 100s.
That generic Surgeon General’s warning didn’t faze me. But what if I had seen a personalized warning label printed on my pack of smokes—as in, one with my own name on it? If I’m going to be completely honest, I’ll tell you that it probably wouldn’t have stopped me from lighting up. But it might have made me stop and think.
That’s exactly the reaction UK-based creative duo Oli + Josie are counting on. A recent Huff Post article details their new service which allows users to create personalized, printable health warnings to put in cigarette packs. People can go to the website, insert the names of their loved ones and create labels saying things like, “Smoking Kills Dave” to slip under the cellophane on a cigarette pack, replacing the generic warning labels.
Smoking Kills Santa
At first I laughed my ass off when I read this. My immediate instinct was it had to be a joke. Then I realized we’re gonna have to wait four more months before we get hit with a week’s worth of ridiculous, nearly-real April Fool’s articles. They’re marketing this product to the concerned loved ones of smokers during the holidays, hoping to inspire New Years resolutions. Apparently, the creators, who are both self-proclaimed “reformed smokers,” think the holiday season is the perfect time to launch this service. Their rationale is that casual smokers (a concept as foreign to me as the people who drink one civilized glass of wine with dinner) come out of the woodwork during holiday revelry. Also, increased time spent with loved ones during holidays and the good old urge to make goals for a new year inspired the December launch.
But wait, there’s more. This duo of digital dynamos, who are a copywriter and art director at London-based advertising agency AMV, was also inspired by the popular “Share a Coke” campaign. This gimmick, featuring common names on Coca Cola cans, is now in its second incarnation and using the same type of online personalization tool as Oli + Josie’s cig labels, only on glass bottles of cola selling for five bucks a pop. According to the article, the concept has also been borrowed by other brands like Marmite, Cadbury’s, Nutella and Toblerone. They all wanted to transform labels that many people are so used to looking at that they no longer see. But the cig labels are taking it to a whole new level by addressing a public health issue.
Could it Work?
The question remains: would this really help motivate people to quit smoking? I always knew cigarettes were bad for my body, the Surgeon General labels made that clear enough, but it was also bad for my soul. I scoffed at casual smokers who could just have one cigarette a day or bum a chatty smoke at a party—they weren’t hardcore. But I also resented having to smoke to feel normal. I hated the jittery cloud of negativity that would slowly descend on me after a couple hours without a puff. But when your soul is sick, it takes more than a glib reminder that you’re hitting the fast-forward button on your life to inspire change. I haven’t smoked in more than a decade, but just like any other addiction, I had to be really ready to quit on my own terms in order to make it stick.
I’m no stranger to passive aggressive gifting. One year my mom and I both packed on a few pounds and my dad thought it was a super idea to buy us a used treadmill on Craigslist for Christmas. This idea is similarly shitty. That treadmill was shameful evidence that we needed to take better care of our health but it didn’t inspire real change (we really just used it as a laundry rack) . A daily reminder that you suck isn’t the best motivator. Maybe the folks who invented this service (who also created this thingie that’s super funny if you have two minutes of your life to throw away) had the best of intentions. However, I have to question the logistics of this gift. I say, instead of buying your loved one a pack of smokes in the hope of inspiring them to change, why not make your own New Year’s Resolution to quit codependent behavior?
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