Blacklist: A Social Branding campaign for alternative teens

April 21, 2023

At Rescue, audience research is the foundation of each of our campaigns. When we started working with states on tobacco prevention campaigns, we found that teens who were part of the Alternative peer crowd were often more at-risk for using tobacco products. For teens in the Alternative peer crowd, tobacco use had become enmeshed with their social norms and social identity.

We developed the brand Blacklist to associate a tobacco-free lifestyle with their values and lifestyle. In our research with teens in the Alternative peer crowd, we found that messaging showing the deceitful way vape companies promote their products by minimizing their addictive qualities motivated these teens to stop vaping. These insights led us to develop our ad "Fight the Hype."

In message testing with teens, this ad received a 3.5 perceived effectiveness score. Perceived Effectiveness (“PE”) is a six-item index that is calculated based on the average scores of a five-point Likert scale. PE scores of three or higher are generally considered effective, and therefore likely to stimulate thought or action among participants (Davis et al., 2013). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention use PE scores as an evaluation tool to assess the effectiveness of anti-smoking campaigns (Davis et al., 2017).

Learn about our Social Branding campaigns. If you'd like to work with us on your next tobacco prevention or Social Branding campaign, please contact our team.