This New Zealand anti-smoking PSA asks smokers to consider the effect of their lifestyle and cigarette smoke on their pets. Via Adweek:
You’re not going to like this ad, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it.
In its newest gut-punch of a PSA, the New Zealand Health Promotion Agency’s anti-smoking initiative, Quitline, reminds us that humans aren’t the only ones who suffer from exposure to cigarettes. While one would hope that knowing the damage you’re doing to yourself and your family would be enough to break an addiction, the reality is that these points have been hammered by health advocates for decades. The reality of smoking cessation is that different messages work on different people, which is how you end up with angles like this one.
The spot shows a blue-collar Kiwi’s bond with his loyal dog, with most of the 2-minute story told from the dog’s point of view. That perspective makes the largely predictable and tragically unavoidable turn of events all the more potent, as it contrasts the owner’s love with the harm he’s doing to his “best mate.”