Did you know that the likelihood of quitting increases fivefold after 28 days without smoking?

This was the starting point when Ahjo was commissioned by GSK to start looking for partners for a long-term partnership to reduce smoking in the Nordic countries. Smoking is a major health risk in Finland, causing huge healthcare costs both directly and through associated diseases. GSK’s aim is to communicate ways to quit smoking.

Together with the Finnish Heart Association, we found a common ground and shared goals. We both know that quitting smoking is difficult because of nicotine addiction. By campaigning, we wanted to encourage people to quit smoking and stick to their decision.

In collaboration, we ran a positive multi-media campaign, directing people, who are considering quitting smoking to the Heart Association’s website to seek support for quitting through online lectures and coaching. Without our partnership, this support would not have been possible on such a large scale. The campaign also provided many good reasons to quit smoking. On Smoke-free Day, the 31st of May, the campaign culminated in an interview with a cardiologist on MTV’s morning show.

“As this was GSK’s first patient engagement campaign, Ahjo’s understanding of how patient organizations work was highly valuable. Ahjo’s support in identifying and contacting potential partners also helped to facilitate the process. The PR and communication expertise also provided particular added value. It was great to find a partner in the Finnish Heart Association who share the same goals of working for the common good. The results of the campaign and collaboration were better than we could have hoped for. The feedback has been very positive within the company, both in Finland and in other Nordic countries.” – Annina Puputti, Senior Brand Manager Smokers’ Health

GSK: “The cooperation in the 28 Days Without campaign went very well and smoothly in terms of conceptualization, implementation and communication. The results of the campaign also exceeded our expectations and we managed to create valuable visibility for an important cause in a humane and appealing way.”  – Ninnu Laine, Brand Manager Smokers’ Health and Respiratory

The Finnish Heart Association: “Cooperation with Ahjo in the planning and implementation of the campaign was smooth and constructive. Joint objectives were easily established and the campaign reached a large number of target groups in the planned media mix. Overall, we were satisfied with the results and, for example, the deserved media attention in MTV3’s morning broadcast was a great result of Ahjo’s work.” – Esa Takala, Marketing & Communications Specialist