#WhatTheSmoke!? Kom op tegen Kanker and DDB launch TikTok miniseries

The annual survey by the Flemish Expertise Center for Alcohol and Other Drugs shows that 1 in 20 people between the ages of 12 and 15 smoke regularly. Moreover, many of them aren’t aware of its harmful consequences. Convincing young people to not start smoking is about the only way to safeguard the next generation from smoking-related cancers.

Since traditional awareness campaigns will not do the trick, DDB and Kom op tegen Kanker took on a different approach: a campaign by young people, for young people. Their role models, their language and their channels.

Using the hashtag #WhatTheSmoke, the most popular Flemish TikTok influencers are launching a real TikTok relay. Each episode consists of a sketch by an influencer, who draws attention to one of the negative consequences of smoking in a light-hearted and playful way. Each episode ends with a cliff-hanger starring another well-known TikTokker on whose profile the next episode will appear. Together, the various sketches form the miniseries #WhatTheSmoke. A series that is already being hyped with over 400,000 views for the first five episodes.

The radio show Gillis & Govaerts on MNM also spent the entire week on the theme of smoking and why you should not light your first cigarette. For example, the graceful Laura Govaerts’ face was transformed into that of a chain smoker, influencer Jaël Ost came to tell about her grandfather who died from the effects of smoking,  professor Filip Lardon explained what harm smoking does to your body and the actors of #WhatTheSmoke passed by for a chat.

As from 2 December, a new episode will be posted every day on one of the channels of the 12 participating influencers: Steffi Mercie, Anneleen Debaveye, Amir Motaffaf, Kobe Peeters, Stien Edlund, Elias Verwilt, Kessy Kangala Mpongo, Maximiliaan Verheyen, Miek Jacobs, Aaron De Groeve, Gerben Tuerlinckx en Jaël Ost. Don’t know how many followers you have on TikTok, but together they reach more than 6 million youngsters.

The miniseries also enjoys the support of TAGMAG, the popular online news platform for young people. They provided extra reach thanks to their well-known vox pops and initiated a livestream hosted by Jaël and Kessy, with Nicolas Caeyers and Supercontent (Pieterjan Marchand and Jeff Bronder) as their guests.

Credits

Client: Kom op tegen Kanker
Client Contact: Anke Berckmans, Cathy Rigolle, Marina Van den Nouweland, Ann Gils
CD: Kwint De Meyer
Creation: Simon Detournay, Célestin Metens, Jan Schraeyen, James Gambrill, Ellen Potoms, Jan Lammens
Strategy: Dieter Riemaeker, Marie Geens, Fiona Boyle
Account Management: Annelies Schrevens, Molly Waeytens, Sharon Lavaert, Flup Coppens
Design: Sven Verfaille
Influencer strategy & relations: TBWA Reputation - Anneleen Coppens, Nell Dumortier 
 

Production Company: De Mensen & Make  
Creative Director: Tom Willems 
Showrunners: Jasper Declerq & Joren Smet 
Director: Jasper Declercq 
TV + Post-Producers: Shana Duprez, Rana Cools, Audrey Dierckx
Editor: Jasper Flikschuh
DOP: Amir Motaffaf 

Media: MNM & TAGMAG