Toronto ad agency BBDO created an ad that’s a tootin’ good time for all, targeting the silent, but deadly, habit of smoking. Aimed at ridiculing the concept of social smoking, the ad posits the notion of social farting as a level equivalent. 

“Well it’s true that I fart, but I wouldn’t call myself a farter,” a woman begins, “I really only do it when I’m out with my friends that fart.”

The ad has spread faster than gas on crowded TTC streetcar since its release in March, and is currently sitting pretty with over one million views. Deb Matthews, Ontario’s Minister of Health, shares that “almost two-thirds of people who smoke a cigarette in a social setting go on to become smokers … [and] 50 per cent of people who smoke will die from smoking.” Does the video’s humorous vibe acheive the heavy lifting it strives for, or does it outshine the message all together?

Also targeted are the social ear wax picker, and the social nibbler who vultures food from neighboring plates. Previously self-assured that I’m not a social smoker, I’m now seriously concerned that I have a social nibbling problem. 

Check out the vid below, courtesy of QuittheDenial.ca

____

Jeremy Schipper is a Toronto Standard intern. You can follow him on Twitter at @jeromeoschipps.

For more, follow us on Twitter at @torontostandard, and subscribe to our newsletter.