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So what’s my problem? It’s not that I don’t think people should quit smoking, it’s the fact that these posters are exerting their message in a grossly negative way. Their statements are full of scorn and ridicule aimed at college-aged smokers. Negativity has never been a useful way of getting a job done, so I don’t know how Tick, Tock thinks they’re making a difference when it comes to helping people quit smoking.

The campaign is based heavily on the fact that “Research shows that most students who say they’ll quit smoking after college can’t.” While that may be true, smokers certainly don’t need that negative fact shoved in their face everywhere they go on campus. It can’t be helpful to one’s morale during the overwhelming stress of school, work, and an ever-changing social life.

I think what Tick, Tock doesn’t understand (whoever they are) is that most smokers already know they have a problem--nicotine fixation--and they know they need to quit. Even if it’s on your agenda to quit, I’m sure a constant reminder of your flaws can be irritating.

One unreasonably sarcastic scheme Tick, Tock has employed in their ads is monkeys trying to convince college students that smoking is not bad for them. Then there’s the ad featuring the imaginary “circle of ignorant bliss” inside which you can smoke without the fear of addiction. One other joke they’re riding is that the disappearance of the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot is due to their (unknown until now) smoking habits.

Yeah, ha ha, funny. Except that these posters and ads are simultaneously suggesting that smokers are apparently stupider than the average non-smoker. Not only that, but it suggests that they will probably be unsuccessful in attempts to quit smoking, even if they won’t be ready for a couple of years. Usually, I’m all about the freedom of making fun of people, but this is needless mockery.

The kind of intelligence put into these ads reminds me of the negative connotations created with anti-marijuana propaganda in the ’30s and then again in the ’90s. (I’m referring to Reefer Madness, and the commercial in which a boy shoots himself in the face after smoking a joint.) Many of these campaigns focus on the wrong issues to get their point across, which is why they are largely unsuccessful. Creating sensation can rarely be more effective than focusing on truth and logic.

This is why a constant reminder of “You’re not alone,” or “Hang in there, you’ll do it!” might be a little more helpful. This is why I think other anti-smoking campaigns are on a better track. Services like “Quit Plan,” and to a lesser extent, “Truth,” have actually helped a bit in the war against tobacco.

Quit Plan expresses information such as, “With help, you’re up to seven times more likely to quit smoking.” This is a positive message, unlike Tick, Tock’s accusation-style. If I smoked, I’d rather be reminded that I’m a part of a group and I can lean on a shoulder if need be.

The problem is that like Tick, Tock, Truth’s ads come off as self-righteous. On top of that, some think that using satire doesn’t work anyway, rendering the ads ineffective. But at least Truth was attacking big corporations (something we can all agree on) and not college students on a personal level.

The funny thing is, I think Tick, Tock knows that they’re not as effective as a righteous organization like Quit Plan. Or maybe they think they’re the link in getting people to Quit Plan. Perhaps that’s why they direct people to the Quit Plan phone number on their website, multiple times, even though they make it known that Quit Plan has no connection to the website whatsoever.

So, non-smokers--keep on non-smoking. And smokers--don’t be discouraged by posters or flyers with negative implications about your ability to quit smoking when you’re ready--if you plan to, that is.