Floridian anti-smoking ad looks very familiar

88 Comments by Griffin McElroy Jun 29th 2008 7:30PM
Filed under: Culture

Anti-smoking organization Tobacco Free Florida recently released a local TV spot featuring a fake FPS title, which for all intents and purposes, may as well be titled Haylo, created by little-known developer Spungie. The ad shows the unwisely unhelmeted hero laying waste to a squadron of robo-baddies, then lighting up a moke-moke, which quickly drains his health, leaving him very dead in the enemy stronghold.

Gaming news site GameCouch recently interviewed the ad's creators, who explained that the fake game theme was chosen to grasp the attention of the coveted 11-17-year-old demographic. It's certainly not the least clever anti-smoking PSA we've ever seen, though we never knew that smoking a cigarette led to immediate death. They should really put that on a warning label or something.

Tags: ad, anti-smoking, anti-smoking-psa, cigarette, commercial, fps, halo, psa, smoking, tobacco-free-florida

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo): Jun 29th 2008; 7:34PM

.....lol what? I don't think that soldier is fit for combat if one smoke automatically kills him. And yeah it's like they just took a level from Halo and changed it up a bit.

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans: Jun 29th 2008; 7:36PM

I just saw this on the teevees last night. Heh...

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans: Jun 29th 2008; 7:37PM

You know what... I think you should smoke.

(It kills people instantly, like in this ad, right?)

Vcize: Jun 29th 2008; 7:38PM

This is an old commercial, I never realized it was only shown here in Florida though. Really though, the production qualities are quite good, especially if it's not even a national ad.

Yes, it's looks like Halo and yes, that's obviously on purpose.

Vcize: Jun 29th 2008; 7:40PM

And yes, compared to most advertisements, it's actually quite clever as well.

Co: Jun 29th 2008; 11:12PM

I gotta agree with you on all count my fellow Gator. Funny this story is on Joystiq today as the commercial ran like 8 times during my viewing of Ace Ventura on the Cartoon Network. I mentioned to my video game making brother how the production values for it look quite good for just a state tobacco free ad.

knight666: Jun 30th 2008; 7:19AM

The sound effects are "beep beep", "pew pew" and "woooosh". This was obviously made with the 17-34 demographic in mind.

LaughingTarget: Jun 29th 2008; 7:42PM

That was a slim. What killed him was his masculinity quickly vacating his body.

xGeneral DEATHx: Jun 30th 2008; 8:24AM

Clowing up your own base has never been so much fun.

Obie: Jun 29th 2008; 7:43PM

Wow, did this guy get is 3 strikes in a single post or what?

WhoMe: Jun 29th 2008; 7:44PM

I'd play that game.

Obie: Jun 29th 2008; 7:46PM

Is that the first level of "Yes We Cannon?" ;)

RESISTANCE: Jun 29th 2008; 7:51PM

You know what.. I think you should visit this website.

It might help you before you embarrass yourself in front of teh interwebz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans: Jun 29th 2008; 8:15PM

Sarcasm tends to be more effective when it's actually witty.

Jim Halpert DM: Jun 29th 2008; 8:17PM

Yeah...cause it's easy to distinguish sarcasm in text.

Jim Halpert DM: Jun 29th 2008; 8:18PM

Okay so not the best example...since the sarcasm is obvious there..but you know what I mean.

J: Jun 29th 2008; 8:19PM

So.......Joe Camel = God mode?

Obie: Jun 29th 2008; 8:23PM

You already did! -1 for pointing out your own fail.

randomshagz: Jun 29th 2008; 8:24PM

Its ok to kill but not ok to smoke.

DangerMouse: Jun 29th 2008; 8:53PM

Yeah, because you'll live longer in the middle of the warzone.

Besides, Solid Snake already taught us that smoking improves aim and lets us see the infrared beams. So it's too late... light 'em up kids!

Mr.ESC: Jun 29th 2008; 9:15PM

Bu…but Mc Hamster says is okay to smoke and burn yourself with the cigarette.

jcd: Jun 29th 2008; 10:56PM

twas robots, so no killing done

randomshagz: Jun 30th 2008; 5:39AM

Some robots have souls man.

No Disassemble.

Mark: Jun 29th 2008; 8:33PM

I dunno, it looks more like Republic Commando to me. Witness the robotic enemies and the rapid-fire laser rifle.

wootman: Jun 30th 2008; 2:10AM

yeah, thats what i thought too, especially considering the robot enemies/setting.

RESISTANCE: Jun 29th 2008; 8:35PM

Thank you Jim Halpert not only do you have the best user name, but you also have a sense of humor.

Garp: Jun 29th 2008; 8:41PM

So, it's based off of Halo, which is rated "M" for 17+, in order to bring in the much desired 11-17 demographic? Yeah, no way this could possibly backfire.

Jacksons: Jun 29th 2008; 9:03PM

Haha, I noticed that too.

DangerMouse: Jun 29th 2008; 9:26PM

There's no living things dying, so it's either rated T, or it's a German game.

Mike: Jun 30th 2008; 1:40AM

And yet it seems like no day passes where someone doesn't complain about all the 12-year olds online in Halo 3.

Osman: Jun 29th 2008; 8:47PM

i know im being picky but, isn't he wearing a helmet? if so, how does he put the cigarette in his mouth?

Bigfoot: Jun 29th 2008; 8:52PM

The same way Bender smokes a cigar underwater.

Osman: Jun 29th 2008; 8:55PM

okay now that makes perfect sense!

futurama refernece +1

DWells55: Jun 29th 2008; 9:07PM

Hahaha, from the episode with the "Lost City of Atlanta." Always good to see fellow Futurama fans, that episode was on a couple nights ago.

Henry E.: Jun 29th 2008; 8:49PM

and mgs games taught me cigs can help you sneak into military buildings

Benny: Jun 29th 2008; 8:52PM

Would anybody seriously stop smoking because of this? At least do it properly and scare them with impotency.

Justin D: Jun 29th 2008; 8:54PM

Although its a YouTube vid (read: compressed as hell), that game looks a helluva lot better than an helluva lotta FPS games released in the past few years. I'd totally play that.

Mr.ESC: Jun 29th 2008; 9:18PM

Me too but the first thing I would do in the game would be taking the cigarettes out of my inventory.

Chigurh: Jun 29th 2008; 8:56PM

It's not the cigarette that killed him. He died because he had to play the Halo 2 campaign.

J.Goodwin: Jun 29th 2008; 8:57PM

Odd that they would choose to copy an M rated game franchise to appeal to an 11-17 demographic.

And only girls smoke. Seriously, if you're a guy, man up and quit, you Nancy boy.

offday: Jun 29th 2008; 8:59PM

I think you should keep posting so your words fade out more and more. Maybe eventually you will.

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans: Jun 29th 2008; 9:00PM

Saying "FIRST!!1" is humor? Perhaps in the same way Epic Movie is a parody movie. You're doing the same exact thing you're allegedly making fun of except a bit more exaggerated.
THAT'S NOT FUNNY. I'd go as far as saying it's more annoying than the genuine "first"-ies, as you think you're the fucking bees knees and your wit is unsurpassed.

You're just some fucking random nobody on the internet who's bad at making a joke and can't seem to accept that fact.

You're not just an annoying and unfunny person anymore, no, you're now an annoying and unfunny douche.

Welcome to the fucking internet.

offday: Jun 29th 2008; 9:00PM

Am I the only one who is upset that this is not a real game? It looks ten times better than half of the real games that we actually have. Kinda sad, really.

Moorio - XBL: peacebyanymeans: Jun 29th 2008; 9:06PM

I know, right?

Like all the lasers and explosions and the generic desert-base area.

Oh! And the flashing text that says "LEVEL COMPLETE" and the weird beeping noise.

Yeah, ten times better than half of all games EVER.