Cancer Institute NSW depicts hidden damage of smoking in new ‘Mutations’ campaign via Bastion

Bastion has partnered with Cancer Institute NSW to develop ‘Mutations’, a powerful new anti-tobacco campaign designed to confront smokers with the hidden damage caused by every cigarette.

Delivering an impressive rollout for the Mutations campaign across TV, digital, social and out-of-home, the launch includes a first-ever train station takeover for the organisation, with commuters at Sydney’s Central Station encountering graphic representations of the mutations created by smoking as they walk up the stairs, accompanied by the message: “Every cigarette is a step closer to cancer.”

The campaign film visualises the hidden harm caused by smoking through a confronting visual idea. As a smoker lights a cigarette, a disturbing mutation begins to grow on the cigarette itself, representing damage happening inside the body. The film closes with the question: “If you could see the damage, would you stop?” leaving viewers with a confronting reflection.

At Parramatta Station, pillars will be transformed into cigarettes with mutations, designed to stop commuters in their tracks.

A second campaign burst will launch in April, featuring a tram takeover and large format cinemagraph out-of-home alongside TV, social and digital activity.

Addison Gazal, Group Strategy Director at Bastion, says the campaign was designed to make the health risks of smoking feel immediate and personal: “One of the barriers to behaviour change is that people who smoke don’t feel the health risk personally. Mutations was designed to communicate the damage in a new and highly visceral way that people can’t easily rationalise away or self-exclude from, turning every cigarette into a powerful prompt and reminder of what smoking is really doing inside their body.”

Developed in partnership with Cancer Institute NSW, Bastion combined the scale and capability of a global network with the agility of an independent to deliver an integrated campaign that places the organisation in a position of strength to reach communities across New South Wales.

The Mutations campaign is live across TV, digital, social and out-of-home.

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