Launched in February 2000, truth is a national youth smoking prevention campaign from the American Legacy Foundation, a national public health foundation based in Washington, DC, devoted to tobacco use prevention and cessation. truth is the only national campaign in the United States not directed by the tobacco industry. The objective of the campaign is to change social norms and reduce youth smoking. Youth aged 12 to 17 years are the primary focus of the campaign. The campaign is produced by the American Legacy Foundation and its advertising partners, Arnold Worldwide (Boston, MA) and Crispin, Porter + Bogusky (Miami, FL). Background: About 80 percent of smokers begin using tobacco before the age of 18. Each day, about 2000 kids try smoking for the first time. For many, it becomes an addiction that can lead to a life of disease and tobacco-related death. truth directly counters messages from the tobacco company brands, which spent more than US$15.1 billion in 2003 to market their products in the U.S. alone. When the campaign was created, the American Legacy Foundation and its partners realized truth could never match that level of spending, so instead they aimed to create a campaign that would stay ahead by breaking through with teens and being more cutting edge. Campaign Philosophy: The truth campaign exposes the tactics of the tobacco industry, the truth about addiction, and the health effects and social consequences of smoking - allowing teens to make informed choices about tobacco use by giving them the facts about the industry and its products. It is designed to engage teens by exposing Big Tobaccos marketing and manufacturing practices, as well as highlighting the toll of tobacco in relevant and innovative ways.The teenage years are a time of transition into adulthood and a quest for control. For some teens, tobacco use can fulfill some of the innate adolescent needs to rebel; truth seeks to be an alternative way to meet those needs. The campaign stresses peer-to-peer communication, as teens dont like to be preached at or talked down to. The campaign uses research with teen audiences, marketing and social science research, and evidence from the most successful anti-tobacco campaigns to inform its strategies. The truth campaign also uses actual tobacco industry documents that were made public after the Master Settlement Agreement. The documents are used to find the facts teens see in truth ads and on the truth Web site. Delivering the Program: truth is a multi-dimensional campaign involving: - advertising (television, radio and print)- a Web site and interactive communications- grassroots outreach through summer and winter tours- gear wearable and cool products like t-shirts, I-Pod socks, and other items reflecting the brand and subtly raising attention to the tobacco issue - Earned media an extensive media relations program to place related stories in youth media, and raise attention in adult media to the issue and to the campaigns award-winning work. truth ads are known for being in-your-face, hard-hitting and even humorous, because teens respond to up-front and powerful messages that display courage and honesty in a forceful way. In addition,