This Makes Me Want to Quit Smoking. And I Don’t Even Smoke!

Jessica Klepac is Director of Design for GLOBALHealthPR US Partner and Chair, Spectrum.

I’m not a smoker, but as a designer I can appreciate brilliant marketing. So I had to grab “The Last Pack” when I was in a CVS pharmacy last weekend.

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that as of September 1, you can no longer buy cigarettes at CVS. And in addition to removing cigarettes from its shelves, the company adopted a new name – CVS Health. I read the news and saw the story online, but until I walked into a CVS I did not realize the extent to which the company embraced the “health” part of its new name. CVS quit cigarettes and is trying to help customers quit, too, with a pretty creative campaign.

As soon as I walked into the store I was greeted by signs that read, “Ready To Quit?” and “Let’s Quit Together.” After quickly grabbing the few items I needed, I stood in line and took in the whole store. Everywhere I turned, CVS was sending me a message, letting me know they had my back if I was ready to quit smoking. Again, not a smoker, but it sure did impress me.

Once I got to the counter, a little display caught my eye.  At first glance it looked like a traditional cigarette display. But as I got closer, I noticed the display was filled with cigarette-size boxes that said “The Last Pack.” I was so curious what was in the box that I snatched one up! Was it really the last pack of cigarettes? Nicotine patches? A prescription?

I opened it when I got home, and what I found blew me away. Inside the little cigarette box was a tobacco quit-kit, complete with the following:

• “Ready to Quit?” booklet with professional advice
•  “It Pays to Quit” card showing what your finances will look like after you stop buying cigarettes
• “#OneGoodReason” card on how to share the one good reason you’re quitting
• Coupon for a free 4×6 print to remind yourself of the #OneGoodReason
• Coupon to save $5 with any “Stop Smoking Aids”
• “Dozen Distractions” booklet with games like sudoku and crossword puzzles
• “Proud to be a Quitter” sticker to show off your to your buddies

At this point, I was ready to make up a story of my own and share it on social media just so I could be a part of the movement!

As a designer who works with healthcare clients, seeing a successful campaign like this really inspires me to dig deeper and think bigger in my daily work. I don’t want my designs to just look good; I want to creatively guide people to make better decisions about their life and health.

CVS Health proved a thoughtful promotion campaign can make a statement and reinforce the brand in a bold way.

What campaigns have jumped out at you and made you want to get involved?