Y Do U Think Smoking is Bad for Animals?

Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation (VTSF) is attempting to put young people off smoking with a set of television commercials that appeal to fondness for animals. The campaign, online at ydouthink.com, includes “Forest”, an advertisement highlighting the impact of tree felling on wildlife, a man size bunny in particular. Also included in the campaign are shorter ads featuring texting and love, puppies and kittens. The campaign site provides monthly “facts” that are designed to make young people think twice about smoking.

YdoUThink Forest Bunny

“Forest” opens on a caravan of cars stopped in a dense, young Douglas Fir forest. It’s quiet, with only the chirps of birds, as we see a bearded man in a dingy rabbit costume taking in his surroundings and nibbling on a carrot. A tall, serious-looking suited man approaches with a coffee mug in hand, followed by another ‘suit’ with a briefcase; accompanying them are lumberjacks sporting hardhats and chainsaws. The tall suit says to the rabbit, “Bob, you know why we’re here.” The rabbit replies, nervously nibbling away, “Yeah, I know.” The suit continues, “We own your home now. You’ll have to leave.” The rabbit stops nibbling, spits and challenges, “Make me,” then attacks a lumberjack. He’s quickly overtaken and the crew starts cutting down trees. “No!” wails the rabbit, and he flees into the forest. He makes it to what appears to be a meadow, but sees it’s actually a clear-cut field of tree stumps. The rabbit screams as we rise high above the stumps. The super, “Every day, 1.5 million trees are cut down to make cigarettes,” and ydouthink.com logo close out the PSA.


The YDoUThink campaign was developed at Barber Martin Agency, Richmond, Virginia, by creative director Michael Mullen, copywriter Joon Kim, art director Sarah Duke, and agency producer Greg Simos.

Filming was shot in Portland, Oregon by director Adam Cameron via Limey, Los Angeles, with director of photography Giorgio Scali, producer James Graves and executive producer Andrew Denyer.

Editor was Frank Effron at Cut and Run, Santa Monica, with assistant editor Hugo Mendez, online artists Mitch Gardiner and Eric Leon, executive producer Michelle Burke, producer Chris Girard.

Colorist was Rob Sciarratta at Company 3, Santa Monica. Audio post production was done at POP Sound, Santa Monica, by mixer/engineer Tim West.

YdoUThink Forest Bunny

  • Concerned Ag Teacher

    How can you come out with that fact when there are only 150-200 thousand trees cut down each day and there are more trees now than ever before in the world. Trees are growing 2-4 times faster than we can consume them. It is propaganda like this that people believe because they are uniformed. I would be interested to know how many of you live in wood homes that were made from these trees and yet you want to stop logging because you already have a home. I would be interesed in knowing how ydothink came up with the number that they are putting on TV and on there Website. Here is some facts from two sites http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_trees_are_cut_down_in_a_day and http://www.fi.edu/school/math/earth.html

  • matt

    I don’t understand this ad – where did they get that number? That just seems highly, highly unlikely.

  • William McNulty

    This ad is a lie and anyone who believes it can purchase some waterfront property in Yuma, AZ
    1.5 million trees a day equals 547,500,000 trees a year. So I am to believe in the span of two years over 1 Billion trees have been cut down to make cigarettes? Balderdash.

  • laksh

    funny videos

  • King

    Hahaha. So how many cigarettes does 1.5million trees logged get you exactly?
    Another useless ‘fact’ from the brilliant minds in charge of the way you are meant to think. Pfft…