Knock Tobacco Out of the Park
Project Summary
Knock Tobacco Out of the Park was a fully integrated PR and advocacy campaign that leveraged a broad and deep coalition of partners, incorporated a regional and national approach, and featured full integration of mainstream and social media.
After a successful campaign, Knock Tobacco Out of the Park was the recipient of several 2012 PR industry awards, including:
- Grand Prize/Best Campaign, International Mercury Awards
- PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence
- Finalist, PR News Nonprofit PR Awards
The campaign resulted in the first-ever restrictions on tobacco use in Major League Baseball.
The problem
Smokeless tobacco traditionally has been marketed to men and boys through advertising that associates this addictive and deadly product with recreation and athletics. Major League Baseball players have used smokeless tobacco since the earliest days of the game, and their continued public use of chewing tobacco provides a celebrity endorsement that makes tobacco use seem cool and athletic.
The Strategy
We conceived and executed a tightly integrated communications and grassroots strategy to pressure Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to negotiate a ban on public tobacco use in the 2012 players’ contract.
The strategy included enlisting notable baseball figures and members of Congress as campaign spokespeople, leveraging MLB events as hooks for media coverage and grassroots action, building a massive national coalition of more than 200 organizations, and engaging public health officials, faith leaders, and other influencers from MLB cities.
The Result: A Home Run!
MLB and the players’ union announced a new contract that places the first limits on smokeless tobacco use in the 135-year history of big-league baseball. The restrictions include a range of prohibitions on the on-camera use of smokeless tobacco, cessation programs for current players and a national public service campaign featuring big-league stars, to be aimed at youth. This historic shift in the treatment of tobacco by Major League Baseball will alter how youth perceive smokeless tobacco and protect the health of current players.
We exceeded our communications goals with coast-to-coast coverage in media that reached new audiences such as sports fans and religious viewers. And we energized our existing grassroots advocates while attracting thousands more. And the work continues...