How can a city turn saying “no” into a positive?

Creating awareness and building consensus across an iconic destination

The City of Santa Monica sought a campaign concept it could use as a vehicle to raise awareness of a new municipal ordinance banning smoking in and around public outdoor spaces.

Based on the children’s game of “one of these things is not like the others,” we created the “Smoking Doesn’t Belong Here” campaign to communicate playfully and positively, but clearly and directly, to a diverse set of residents, workers and visitors from all over the world.

The new campaign’s identity simultaneously drew from and supported Santa Monica’s healthy, positive, beach town brand, and through a novel outdoor campaign including trashcan wraps, actively engaged strong support from the local business community.