Robertino Zambrano reveals smokers' struggles in gorgeously animated PSAs
Giving up drinking booze for Dry January is tough. Quitting smoking? Quite another, as made evident by three visceral and figurative films portraying the imperfect path towards stubbing out for good.
Directed by Robertino Zambrano, the series of animated films is based on authentic, first-hand accounts of quitting smoking, artfully capturing each individual's emotional journey through three distinct design languages.
Zambrano, who has a rich history of using animation to portray real-life stories sensitively, explains: "I was attracted to the brief for its commitment to evocative storytelling. It wasn't a simple animation piece; there was a documentary layer to it. We met, interviewed and got to know people from different walks of life and their smoking journey. I revelled in the opportunity to present their journey and voice in a creative yet authentic way."
The films are part of a multi-faceted campaign led by Duncan Channon for the California Department of Public Health's CA Tobacco Control Program, which normalises the quitting process, and reaches current smokers and vapers in a human and empathetic way.