Senegal – Tobacco Control – Sponge (Wolof)

The iconic Sponge ad, first created in Australia in 1978 and still used throughout the world because the simple, graphic ads has been shown to be highly effective in dozens of countries, ran for eight weeks on TV, radio and billboards in Senegal. A social media campaign included a petition drive, which got over 8,000 signatures in support of strong tobacco control policies including smoke-free initiatives. Also during the campaign, the government quit line showed a 600% increase in calls for cessation help. Earned media included over 50-press articles that resulted from campaign activities. A full evaluation of the campaign is available on request.