Truth Initiative and Mojo Supermarket were awarded the Grand Effie at the 2023 U.S. Effie Awards for the anti-vaping campaign, “Depression Stick + Breath of Stress Air.” Gale, Allegiance Group and Crux Research also contributed to the campaign. 

The award, judged by a panel of marketing and media professionals, recognizes the most effective marketing campaign in the past year.

This was Mojo Supermarket's first major campaign for Truth Initiative after the Brooklyn, New York-based agency won creative AOR duties in 2021 for the nonprofit organization that has a history of provoking the tobacco industry through clever ads. 

Also read: Mojo Supermarket builds on its unique identity

But a new challenge emerged for Truth Initiative in recent years as e-cigarettes grew in popularity, especially among teens. 

This led to Mojo's campaign that challenged the billion dollar e-cigarette industry by tapping into the insight that vaping affected the mental health of its users.

Rather than a traditional PSA, the agency created a fake vape company called Depression Stick. The campaign included teasers across social and broadcast media that asked questions such as, “Why be happy when you can be sad?” Out-of-home activations included billboards that proclaimed “Depression Stick Coming Soon!” The agency also launched a series of films featuring a “marketing executive” from the fictitious company attempting to trick real influencers, lobbyists, ad agencies and gas station clerks into selling the product—which, unsurprisingly, didn’t work.

The results of the campaign were far from depressing. In the first week alone, the campaign garnered 106 million video views, 1.4 million social engagements and 357,000 visitors to the campaign website. Since the campaign's launch, Truth says it has seen a 31% surge in sign-ups for its “This is Quitting” program, which helped more than 500,000 teens and young adults quit vaping nicotine.

Last month, the popular e-cigarette maker Juul agreed to pay $462 million to six states and the District of Columbia to resolve lawsuits and investigations regarding its marketing to children. 

“Depression Stick + Breath of Stress Air” also won Effies in the David vs. Goliath and Disease Awareness & Education: Non-Profit categories.

In contention

The work edged out notable campaigns such as “Alpha Foods Class Action Lawsuit,” by Alpha Foods and Mischief @ No Fixed Address; “Acura Type S Launch Campaign—Chiaki’s Journey” by American Honda Motor Co. and MullenLowe U.S.; “Aged by Audio,” by Leo Burnett, Starcom, and Kellogg Co.’s Cheez-It;  “Froot Loops World: From TV Ads to World-Building,” by Kellogg’s Froot Loops, Leo Burnett Chicago and Starcom; “Apologize the Rainbow,” by Skittles and DDB Chicago; “Modern Rice Explorers,” by Riviana Foods and Alma DDB; “Be Wise All, Take Xyzal at Night,” by Sanofi/Xyzal and PureRED; and “See My Skin,” by Unilever and Edelman.

“Winning an Effie is a recognition worth celebrating as it represents not only the success of the work, but also the ideas, the teamwork, and the determined efforts of a group of people with a shared vision to deliver growth and change,” Traci Alford, global CEO of Effie Worldwide, said in a statement. 

Rest of the U.S. rankings

Effie also revealed the results of its 2022 U.S. rankings, which reflected the total points from finalists and winners of this year’s competition. 

Kellogg was named the Most Effective Marketer in the U.S., while Froot Loops was named the Most Effective Brand. Interpublic Group of Cos. took the Most Effective Holding Company spot for the second consecutive year, while DDB Worldwide was named Most Effective Agency Network and Starcom Worldwide was named the Most Effective Agency Office. Mischief @ No Fixed Address was named the Most Effective Independent Agency, followed by Mojo Supermarket and SuperAwesome.

Two golds and one silver Effie were also awarded in the Sustained Success category, which recognizes effective work that “has sustained measurable growth over three or more years,” the Effies wrote in a statement. The Gold Effies went to Procter & Gamble’s Old Spice and Wieden+Kennedy, Portland for “Men Have Skin Too” and The New York Times and Droga5 for “The New York Times." The Silver Effie was awarded to Tobacco Free Florida and Alma DDB for “What Smoking Costs You.”

Effies were also awarded in the direct-to-consumer category for the first time. Bronzes went to Sanofi’s ALPROLIX and DDB Chicago for “Treatment Signing Day;" Pearson Education and VMLY&R for “This is You Learning”; and Keen Utility and Hanson Dodge for  “Keen Utility—Fits you Better.”