PS: In the 2 minutes it takes you to read this, another 20 smokers will die.

World No Tobacco Day is May 31. M&C Saatchi pitched in (pro bono) to boost global anti-smoking charity QUIT’s efforts. It created a series of 3 videos that demonstrate unequivocally and in real time, how many and how often smoking kills.

The agency assessed that Vine’s unique 6-second looping video format made it the perfect medium to communicate the fact that every 6 seconds someone in the world dies from a smoking-related illness.

Note: That every 6 seconds someone in the world dies from a smoking-related illness is a World Health Organisation stat.

The campaign consists of 3 Vine videos, one for each major smoker demographic:

• young people who haven’t started/are just about to start
• people who’re already smokers
• people who’ve been smoking for a long time (and are still alive)

Each execution shows a smoker dragging on a cigarette – followed by the line: “Before this video starts again, another smoker will die.” [Ugh: ed]

QUIT chief executive officer, Glyn McIntosh, said, “The fact that someone dies of a smoking-related disease every 6 seconds is shocking – that means 14,400 smokers will die on World No Tobacco Day alone.M&C Saatchi has dramatised it a way that will drive awareness, debate and donations. Ultimately, this highly emotive work will inspire people to quit and help us save lives.”

M&C Saatchi executive creative director, Ben Welsh, added, “Tying the 6-second Vine format to the chilling 6 second fact means that the medium is the message and a very powerful one.It’s a great use of the Vine platform and a perfect example of ‘brutal simplicity’ in action.”

Creative credits:

Agency: M&C Saatchi

Post & Sound: FSM

Executive reative director: Ben Welsh

Creative director: Ant Melder

Art director: David Jackson

Copywriter: Josh Bryer

Head of moving image: Rod James

DoP: Simon Hammond