A young man stands near a pile of body bags outside the high-rise headquarters of Philip Morris. He shouts up: "We're going to leave these here, so you can see what 1200 people actually look like!" The body bags represent the 1200 daily deaths in the United States attributable to tobacco products. The American Legacy Foundation developed the innovative television advertisements to inform and warn teens about the dangers of smoking. So far, the commercials have been remarkably effective.

In 1998 Big Tobacco agreed to pay $206 billion. $300 million of that every year, was earmarked for smoking education and prevention, especially among youth. The non-profit American Legacy Foundation (ALF) was established to administer these programs.

Dozens of crawling baby dolls cover an urban sidewalk. Passersby are bemused. One doll falls face up, allowing viewers to read its T-shirt: "How do infants avoid secondhand smoke?' At some point they learn to crawl.'- Tobacco executive" ALF developed the unique "truth" ads to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking. The commercials feature diverse teens taking direct action against tobacco companies. The style is edgy and confrontational. Market researcher Peter Zollo calls the ads "the 'un-marketing' of high risk youth behaviors. He explains why commercials have been so effective with teenagers: "The truth campaign creates a brand with which (teens) want to affiliate. Truth understands teenagers' emotional needs to rebel, defy authority, and assert their independence. So instead of rebelling by smoking, truth encourages teens to rebel by confronting and rejecting the tobacco industry."

The messages appeal to young people's distrust of big business and their desire for nonconformity. Zollo claims, "We've found that humor also goes a long way in gaining teens; acceptance and establishing credibility." High school student Ketie Hardison agrees. "They're not saying we are smarter than you; we know what you should do," says Hardison. "They never say don't smoke." In fact, the ads show a teen saying, "If I want to smoke, that's my own decision," and another ad claims, "we totally respect people's freedom of choice - different strokes for different folks."

Philip Morris's own ad campaign features the tag line "Think. Don't Smoke." Teenagers rate those ads as far less effective. The Phillip Morris ads, "imply that people who smoke are stupid. They imply that people who smoke can simply choose to quit," Hardison states. ALF contends that ads represent smoking as a behavior that is reserved for adults, which makes smoking appear forbidden and therefore more desirable. Surveys show that teens who view The Philip Morris ads are more likely to smoke.

"Please don't smoke, it's not good for your health' doesn't work for kids."

(Colleen Stevens, spokeswoman, California Department of Health.)

"What we learned very early on is that 'Please don't smoke; it's not good for your health' doesn't work for kids," says Colleen Stevens of the California Department of Health.

A young woman pushes a baby carriage near the curb. Bewildered pedestrians approach. Inside, they see a baby doll, and a sign proclaims, "Every year smoking leaves about 13,000 kids motherless." ALF not only produces commercials, it creates print ads for publications geared to teens. A truth tour visits beaches and concerts with thirteen vans full of DJs, video monitors, and game consoles. The tour was seen by 4.3 million people in 2002. Its website, www.thetruth.com, attracts over 8000 visitors daily. ALF sponsors a nationally syndicated hip hop radio show called TRUTH-FM. The non-profit provides $10 million each year to fund grassroots, youth led antismoking activities. ALF's research division conducts surveys to evaluate the organization's effectiveness.

Thus far, performance has been high, ALF CEO Cheryl G. Healton claims that, after one year of the truth campaign, "75 percent of all 12 to 17 year olds...could accurately describe at least one of the truth ads. Nearly 90 percent of theses... said the ad they saw was convincing." Even more encouraging, truth ads were judged most effective by those at the highest risk - young people who are already smoking or are considering smoking.

Tobacco firm Lorillard is suing ALF. In its claim, Lorillard states, "ALF's 'truth' campaign is that the [tobacco] manufacturers and their executives are dishonest, deceitful, callous, malicious, or otherwise unscrupulous." ALF replies that tobacco companies are upset preciously because ALF has been so effective. CEO Healton cites the drop in smoking among college students, from 31 percet in 1999 to 26 percent in 2001. A young woman holds an electronic display, showing the digit 8. The view is grainy, off-center, unsteady. The text reads, "Every 8 seconds, big tobacco loses another customer." Pause. "They die."

Case Questions

1.Describe the steps in the communication process that occur as ALF attempts to educate teens about smoking. Use specific examples from the case.

2.Show how ALF is using oral, written, electronic, and nonverbal communication.