FCB and FDA Launch Next Iteration of "Little Lungs," the Smoking Prevention Campaign Targeting Teens

Dec. 12, 2020

FCB New York and FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products today announced that they have launched the next installment of “Little Lungs,” an effective smoking prevention campaign for teens that portrays a set of lungs stunted by teenage smoking. This time with a celebrity twist, the digital campaign includes a series of videos featuring host of America’s Got Talent and Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews, Disney star Sky Katz and skateboard phenom Tony Hawk. The campaign, which once again uses claymation production, highlights these celebrities in unique situations – from skateboarding to dancing to performing movie stunts – along with Little Lungs. But Little Lungs has never fully developed due to smoking cigarettes as a teen and so he has trouble keeping up with them.

 The latest campaign continues the long-running “The Real Cost” work, which was first developed by FCB in 2014. “The Real Cost” successfully prevented nearly 587,000 youth ages 11 to 19 from smoking cigarettes in its first two years and has won four Effies over the span of five years, including a Gold in Disease Awareness & Education: Advocacy for “The Real Cost.” Although “The Real Cost” has run various executions, “Little Lungs” has proven to be enduring and popular with teens. The campaign has 27 million views on YouTube and continues FDA’s efforts to educate teens in the United States about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking.

          

 Suzanne Santiago, FCB New York EVP, Group Management Director, said:

“Given the tremendous impact we’ve seen with ‘The Real Cost’ campaign, and in particular, the ‘Little Lungs’ work, we believe this was the right time to add a new element to the characters in order to continue to reach the historically challenging teen audience. The support and commitment of topical celebrities will help us reach our key demographic with this critical message.” 

 

The videos, along with a full library of more than a dozen video and audio clips and stills, will be leveraged across both the celebrities’ and “The Real Cost’s” social channels. The campaign will also reach teens through integrations with Snapchat, Giphy and Spotify.

 This is the latest work from FCB New York capping off a momentous 2020, having just been named Adweek’s 2020 Global Agency of the Year. The agency recently announced Michael Aimette as Co-Chief Creative Officer and has added to its roster of clients with Mike’s Hard, Centrum, Florida Blue, expanded duties for AB InBev and a spot on the IPG roster for AXE. The agency has created standout ideas for Michelob ULTRA with “Courtside,” a virtual fan experience with fans in attendance like Shaq and Lil Wayne, and for Burger King with “Stay Home of the Whopper,” saluting those who are staying home to save lives during COVID-19. Since the launch of Burger King’s “Whopper Detour” – named by WARC as the World’s Most Awarded Campaign for Creativity in 2019 and this year’s recent Grand Effie winner – the agency has seen a 50% increase in headcount as a result of organic and new business growth.