Appealing to gravanity of smokers who plan to quit

As consumers around the world make their New Year’s resolutions for 2009, it’s a pretty safe bet that quitting smoking ranks high on the list of the most common ones. With that in mind, pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer recently launched a novel campaign to publish the photos of those who plan to quit in no less a public place than a Times Square billboard. Pfizer’s Make 2009 Your Time program is designed to encourage smokers who have decided to quit smoking in 2009 and give them the chance to share their resolution with the world. Interested smokers need only email or upload their photo to the My Time to Quit website; alternatively, a designated street photographer is available onsite in Times Square through Jan. 15. Either way, submitted photos get screened for their compliance with the contest’s terms and conditions, and users are notified if their photo will be published or not. Those accepted are then posted on the Reuters or NASDAQ billboards in the heart of New York City’s Times Square sometime before Jan. 31, which marks the end of the program. Of course, the Make 2009 Your Time program not only lets Pfizer offer quitting smokers a healthy dose of gravanity, sympvertising and very public support, it also gives the company a chance to promote Chantix, its pharmaceutical treatment for quitting smoking. It’s a win-win for both sides, and just possibly a prescription for mutual success 😉 Spotted by: Judy McRae