New Ad Campaign Shows Teens It’s Hip to Not Smoke.

The Lorillard Tobacco Company’s Youth Smoking Prevention Program has added three 30-second television commercials to its arsenal of groundbreaking and edgy ads designed to help spread the word among teens that it’s not cool to light up.

The new spots, “Roommates,” “Sneaking Out” and “Street Rap,” will debut tonight on the UPN Network’s “WWF Smackdown.” The campaign will continue throughout the year on youth-focused prime time network and cable television programs. Subsequent commercials will appear on teen-oriented programming such as the “Teen Choice Awards” in August on FOX, “The Miss Teen USA Pageant” in August on CBS and the “Gravity Games” in October on NBC.

Now in its third year, Lorillard’s Youth Smoking Prevention Program was launched to communicate to teens that they can be hip and cool without smoking. The critically acclaimed print and television campaign continues to rely on cutting-edge themes and images to change teens’ perceptions about smoking. The new “Roommates” spot, for example, takes viewers through the stomach-turning morning routines of three young men. When one lights up at the breakfast table, however, his roommates are repulsed. Smoking, they say, is “gross.” In “Sneaking Out,” targeted at young females, a rebellious, partying teen says “no” to a cigarette. And, in “Street Rap,” aimed at urban audiences, a young teen demonstrates his feelings about smoking in rhyme.

“Lorillard remains 100 percent committed to significantly reducing teen smoking, and as such we are proud to launch a new series of advertisements,” says Steve Watson, vice president of external affairs. “Since 1999, more than 40 million kids have heard our message, and more than 40 million adults are aware of our parenting program. We believe our very unique approach has been extremely effective in getting out the message to kids that smoking is not cool, and kids should not smoke.”

In addition to the new ads, Lorillard’s Youth Smoking Prevention Program has added a new dimension to its national campaign with a grass-roots, high-impact initiative, including such elements as sponsorship of the 2001 98 Degrees U.S. Revelation Tour. As part of the popular group’s tour, the program will reach teens in more than 30 markets across the country with non-smoking messages. The alliance with the 98 Degrees Tour will be supported by in-market radio and internet promotions, including a ticket giveaway on the interactive teen site www.buttoutnow.com.

Lorillard’s Youth Smoking Prevention Program also reaches out to teens through the TeenH.I.P. (Teens Helping Influence People) Program. Now in its second year, the TeenH.I.P. Awards Program provides ten $10,000 scholarships to kids who don’t smoke and are committed to extra-curricular activities and academic achievement. Two new components will be added to TeenH.I.P. this year: “Cool News,” which rewards students with $5,000 worth of computer equipment for their schools for submitting articles to their school newspapers about why kids should not smoke; and the TeenH.I.P. Grant Program, which offers kids one of five $10,000 grants to partner with community organizations to develop their own youth smoking prevention programs.