There are lots of ways to create an effective tobacco counter-marketing message. 

Here are 10 tips to get you started:

1. Analyze tobacco ads.  Find several tobacco ads (look in magazines at the library) and figure out what they’re trying to say about tobacco, and what techniques they use to say it.  Some counter-marketing ads use the same persuasion techniques to deliver a different message.

2. Study counter-marketing ads.  You’ve probably seen or heard ads designed to prevent youth smoking, drunk driving, HIV infection or other problems.  Some of them are effective.  Some of them aren’t.  Learn to tell the difference, and then use the techniques that work.

      > Check out some examples here

3.  Identify your target audience.  Your ad should target kids and/or teens (that’s what this contest is about!)  But do you want to target particular youths?  Girls?  Spanish-speaking youth?  Kids who live in rural areas?  LGBT youth?  Skateboard punks?  Student athletes?  Sometimes a message that’s created with a particular audience in mind is more effective than a message that tries to speak to everyone.

4.  “KISS” – Keep It Short & Simple.  Use only one idea for your main message. Focus everything on getting this message across.  Many tobacco prevention messages use themes like these:

Tobacco is deadly; it causes many diseases.
Nicotine is addictive.
Tobacco contains many poisons and harmful ingredients.
Smoking makes your breath stink, your teeth yellow, gives you wrinkles, etc.
Spit tobacco (chew, dip, snuff) is just as dangerous as cigarettes.
People who smoke are not cool.
Tobacco companies target youth.
Tobacco advertising tries to manipulate youth.
Young people are rebelling against tobacco industry manipulation.

There are many more themes.  Use one of these or find your own!

5.  Choose your style.  Consider these options:

- What’s the tone of your message?  Is it funny? Serious? Sad? Angry?

- Radio ads usually deliver their message in words.  Will this be narration, a dialogue between two or more people, rap or song lyrics? 

- In a TV ad, the words could be spoken by a narrator (who we don’t see) or by one or more people on the screen.  Which will you choose?

- Many TV ads have only a few or no spoken words.  Can you get your message across only through images and/or text written on the screen?

- How can music and sound effects enhance your message?

- What’s the pace of your ad?  Is it fast and energetic or slow and reflective? 

6.  Persuade.  Use the same persuasion techniques found in real ads – like humor, repetition or flattery -- to deliver your alternative message.  They work!

      > Learn more about persuasion techniques

7.  Stand out.  Your message has to break through the clutter of all the other ads that people see or hear. Think about what makes you remember an ad.  What techniques does it use to grab your attention?  Use them.

8.  Pictures.  Visual images are incredibly powerful.  People often forget what they read or hear, but remember what they see.  If you’re creating a TV storyboard, tell your story through pictures, not the words.  If you’re writing a radio script, use sound effects and descriptive language to help listeners create a mental picture.

9.  Rebellion.  Advertising targeted at young people often appeals to a sense of youthful rebellion.  Many effective counter-marketing ads expose misleading and manipulative advertising methods and turn the rebellious spirit of youth toward the corporate sponsors who use them.

10.  Write and rewrite.  No one gets it 100% right the first time.  Read your script aloud to a friend.  Change any words that cause you to pause or stumble.  Make sure you can read your script in 30 seconds!  Simplify the language.  Use short sentences.  Make every word count -- get rid of the words that aren’t essential.  Rewrite the script until it flows easily. 

     > download and print these tips