Department Of Health 'Mutations' - Dare Interview

Department Of Health 'Mutations' – Dare Interview

It's a safe assumption that 'stop smoking' is pretty high on many people's New Year's Resolution list, so it's quite fitting that Dare London's shocking spot for the Department Of Health in the UK delivers a shake up to those who still enjoy the odd drag. Focusing on the damage cigarettes can do to your body, 'Mutations' uses gruesome imagery to add a horrific element to an everyday scene. We spoke to Dare CDs Nick Bird and Lee Smith about how you shock a nation out of bad habits.

Your new spot for the DOH's anti-smoking campaign is a very simple, striking message. Do you think it's important to put forward such vital facts bluntly?

Yes. It's really important. Our Stoptober campaign last year was a different approach. Upbeat, positive, inclusive and setting people a goal (you're 5 times more likely to stop for good if you stop smoking for 28 days). Which is great for a lot of smokers. However, there is a certain demographic of smokers that really need jolting into a quit attempt. A visceral reaction is needed to get their attention.

The use of the word 'mutation' is boldly evocative and shocking. Were you keen to include terminology that would impact heavily on people?

Half the problem is striving to find 'new news' to convince people why they really should quit smoking. People don't always respond to the same old messages. The mutation of DNA with every 15 cigarettes, is a scientific fact that really struck a chord when we tested it in research. It's a pretty scary word to associate with the goings-on in your body. It's a word people got 'freaked-out' by.

The timing of the ad to coincide with the New Year obviously isn't a coincidence. Do you think it's a spot that has more impact when people are more readily considering their health or would you rather have it aired throughout the year?

New Year is obviously a time of new resolutions. It is therefore a pretty effective time to catch smokers who want to make a quit attempt. The ad is so powerful, it's going to get smokers' attention whatever time of the year.

The visual effects of the mutation on the cigarette are deliciously gruesome. How did you achieve them? How do you keep within the boundaries of what's acceptable to show and what's shocking to see?

We knew pretty early on that CGI wouldn't give us the textures and realism we wanted from the tumour. Simon Ratigan, the director, agreed. The way forward was to create a lifelike special effect. Artem put their best horror fx people to it. We had meeting with some of the top cancer specialists in the country. They helped guide us with the intricacies of size, shape, colouration, blood vessels, dead cells etc etc. We amassed a pretty gruesome knowledge of types of tumour.

We had number of models built at x10 size. They were full working, moving tumours based on a silicone type compound. The material was as close to tumour-like flesh as we could get. There was loads of work in the detail, capillaries, discolouration, etc. The models were angle matched to the shots in the live action and cut together in flame by The Mill.

You can normally judge the impact of a campaign by increased sales or greater active brand-awareness. How do you judge the results of a spot like this?

We can get a good gauge of the effectiveness of the campaign by how many free Quit Kits smokers have ordered or picked up from their pharmacy. There was a huge PR buzz on launch day, with virtually every national newspaper covering the story, BBC News, Sky News features. In the first couple of weeks there were nearly 3 million online views of the ad.

I don't know if you two are smokers, but does working on campaigns like this make you want to purge your bodies of all toxins?!

Myself and Lee are non smokers. I gave up about a decade ago.

Some people (Bill Hicks) see advertising as something of an ignoble profession. Do you find working on public awareness spots cleanses your palette at all?

If the ad stops one little kid losing a parent to a smoking related illness then, job done.

Cigarette packets already feature warning statements and horrific images. Do you think the next step could be to print one of your bulbous mutations onto the cigs themselves? Did you consider that as a bit of guerrilla marketing for the campaign?

That sounds like a pretty grim idea that I'm sure would raise a few eyebrows. Hey, who knows. Whatever it takes.

What's on the plate for 2013 for you guys?

Was a hugely busy 2012, creating the new GoCompare campaign - the Stephen Hawking ad is out there at the moment. We re-launched the Post Office advertising too with a beautiful ad shot by Walter Campbell. There's going to be a lot more to follow.

Phew.

Posted on 21st January 2013