Stockholm brings anti-smoking campaigns to a new level, a coughing billboard. Akestam Holst, the agency behind the brilliant campaign, created a coughing billboard by attaching smoke detectors to a digital advertising screen. The ‘Smart Billboard ’ shows only a modest picture of a male model, but if approached with a lit cigarette the model immediately begins coughing to insinuate that you and your cigarette are polluting him and others around. The billboard is strategically placed in Stockholm’s Odenplan Square outside the metro station and is paid for by a Swedish pharmacy chain that ultimately wants to encourage people to stop smoking. “The purpose was to drive the conversation about this topic, documenting the reactions, (and) encouraging people to live a healthy lifestyle,” said Marketing Director Fredrik Kullberg. The timing of this campaign is crafty and undoubtedly deliberate. It is the time of year of New Year’s resolutions and when people are the most determined to be successful in their resolutions. A common one, especially in Stockholm, is to quit smoking. According to the World Health Organization, over 20% of Swedes aged 15 and over smoke. This vague, but important statistic proves this campaign is not only timely, but also extremely relevant. Stockholm’s ‘Smart Billboard’ is a classic marketing campaign; know your audience, timing is everything, and get people talking.