What would happen if a kid asked you for a light?

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation answered that question.  They created an ad where two children approached adults who were smoking and asked for a light.  The adults were shocked and all of them told the children how bad smoking is and how they shouldn’t do it.  Once the adult explained this, the children handed them a slip of paper which read: “You worry about me, why not worry about yourself?  Reminding yourself is the most effective warning to help you quit.”

Anti-smoking campaigns have been around for a few decades now.  They’re often gruesome, with images of people who can no longer speak, x-rays of blackened lungs, and dire health warnings.  The only time children have been used, at least that I’ve seen, is when the ad looks at second hand smoke.  But the creators of the “Smoking Kid” ad had an idea that struck a chord.  Almost no one would turn a blind eye to a child smoking and yet we walk by adults all the time.  The simplicity of the message is what makes it so strong.

My mind is churning now, thinking of the interactive art piece that could come from this ad.  Who knows, maybe the Thai Health Foundation has already started thinking about it.