Kids Outsmart Smokers in Crafty Guerrilla Stunt

The famous Ogilvy advertising agency has struck gold in the agency’s latest viral video. This time, the popular video was produced by Ogilvy Thailand. The anti-smoking PSA is for the Thai Health Promotion Board, recorded more than 960,000 views before being removed from YouTube for an unknown reason (hundred of thousands more have watched the duplicates). You have to watch the video or read the description to truly understand how brilliant this campaign is!

With all of the anti-smoking campaigns taking place in the U.S. I think this campaign by Ogilvy was 100% on the mark. Not only did it reach mass amount of people, both smokers and non-smokers, but it triggered different emotions in each audience member. Ogilvy was also successful with the campaign because it was relatively cheap to produce. 

Adweek’s Rebecca Cullers says, “It’s being praised as one of the most effective anti-smoking ads ever, which is especially impressive considering it required little more than a few pieces of paper and two kids.” Success for both the client and agency without spending millions of dollars is the ideal situation for any advertising agency. 

I’m curious if the video would work in the U.S. because it seems that Americans are so desensitized to any form of advertising. I also want to know if the video would legally be allowed to be filmed and aired in the United States. With all the laws and regulations on advertising and agencies, it would be interesting to see the Ogilvy agency do a similar campaign in America. I really believe that the use of innocent children teaching adults would catch the audience member’s attention, no matter how desensitized they are.

What is your opinion on viral video, and do you think this campaign would work in the United States?

  

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