The campaign, developed by Three Wise Men, shows real counsellors helping people as they try to quit smoking.
Quit Victoria has launched a new public education campaign highlighting how Quitline can help people who are considering quitting or actively trying to quit.
Fewer than one in five people currently trying to quit use Quitline, but the free and confidential service has been shown to double the chance of quitting success compared to going ‘cold turkey’.
Quit director, Dr Sarah White says the new campaign was a result of exploratory research to understand common myths and misunderstandings that acted as barriers to people making a call to Quitline.
“Our research demonstrated – most importantly – that there was a real lack of understanding of how Quitline can help," Dr White says.
"This campaign highlights that Quitline counsellors are trained professionals, real people, who can offer tailored, real-world quitting advice and strategies. We want more people to recognise that Quitline can be their personal support system along their quitting journey.”
According to Dr White, the myth most easily dispelled was that Quitline is not the ‘Quit Police’.
“Look, the last thing you’ll get when you call the Quitline is someone telling you to quit," she says.
"The counsellors are there to listen, to provide information and to support the caller make their own plan. There’s no judgment, just someone who understands.”
The campaign was developed by Melbourne agency Three Wise Men.
“The campaign is a classic case of 'tell the truth and show reality' – there’s nothing more authentic than seeing the real counsellors doing their job with empathy," Three Wise Men managing partner Randal Glennon says.
The campaign consists of TV and digital and will run in tandem with a reboot of the famous ‘Sponge’ commercial.
Credits
Agency: Three Wise Men
Production company: Airbag
