ABOUT

Challenge:
Our mission: to transform how long-term smokers in Birmingham and Solihull engage with quitting — not with guilt or fear, but with hope, pride, and real possibility. Through a bold health promotion programme, we set out to inspire change across the city and screen alike — reaching people where they live, work, scroll and listen.
The brief entailed designing and delivering creative artwork and assets for out of home (OOH), digital and social media across the councils’ channels and geographic jurisdiction, as well as creating a campaign website to inspire smokers to go smoke-free, and a script for a regional radio advert.

Solution:
The project followed a clear, phased process. First, we secured the work through compelling creative concepts. We then evolved these into three visually striking executions, while simultaneously beginning wireframe development for the campaign website. Once the client selected their preferred direction, we brought it to life across all required channels – including paid media placement, web assets and event collateral.
While only one concept was chosen for launch, the remaining two creative executions reflected the same high standard and innovation. We believe they also merit recognition – even if they ended up on the cutting room floor.
Concept 1 brought the ‘Light Up Your Life’ message to life through literal and symbolic imagery of a lighter. Rather than igniting a cigarette, the lighter’s spark released a burst of positive outcomes – representing the empowering benefits of quitting smoking. By subverting a smoker’s familiar action, the concept reframed a harmful habit into a moment of transformation and hope.
This concept was designed with flexibility in mind, allowing tailored adaptions for each of the five target audiences. For example, family-focused icons like a baby’s bottle or soother were used to connect with pregnant women and young parents, while other versions featured symbols relevant to different audience groups.
The artwork featured a vibrant, harmonious colour palette – pairing warm yellows and oranges with cool purple and blues. Though created digitally, the visuals carried a tactile, print-process aesthetic, with digitally manipulated photography forming distinctive icons within a carefully limited colour range.
Concept 2 delivered impact though intelligent design. Cigarettes were reimagined as birthday candles – an unexpected twist that challenged the viewer’s assumptions and created a moment of surprise and delight. This visual metaphor harnessed the Generation Effect, prompting viewers to mentally reframe what they were seeing. The result? A dopamine-fuelled “aha” moment that left a lasting impression.
The playful, pastel “birthday cake” colour palette was complemented by AI-generated frosting-style typography, adding memorability and a touch of charm to the visual storytelling.
Both this and Concept 1were unified by the bold headline, ‘Light Up Your Life’, supported by the sub-copy, ‘Not a cigarette’ and a clear call to action. Drawing on social proof principles from behavioural science, the call to action encouraged participation by signalling collective momentum, ‘Join the 5,000 Brummies choosing a lighter life this year’.

Impact:
The outcome of this project was the development of three standout concepts, each strong enough to lead the campaign. The client made an informed choice, selecting the concept that best aligned with their strategic goals – resulting in a high impact, visually distinctive campaign.
While only one concept was ultimately brought to life, we remain equally proud of the creative strength and originality behind all three. In fact, with hindsight, the bold, shock-led approach of Concept 2 may have sparked even greater engagement and conversation – underscoring the depth and versatility of the creative thinking behind this project.