“Fresh Empire” is the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) first public education campaign designed to prevent and reduce tobacco-use among multi-cultural youth.

The campaign targets at-risk youth in the 12-17- year age group who identify with the hip-hop culture, specifically African-American, Hispanic, and Asian-American and Pacific Islander youth.

This month this campaign has spread from its original four launch locations to across the US.

Approximately 4.4 million multicultural youth are “open to smoking or are already experimenting with cigarettes” — meaning they have already smoked up to 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, the regulator said, highlighting a critical need for stronger, more targeted youth tobacco prevention efforts.

The campaign associates living tobacco-free through a variety of interactive marketing tactics including the use of traditional paid media, engagement through multiple digital platforms, and outreach at the local level.

“Fresh Empire” encourages youth identifying with hip-hop to reach their goals of being successful, attractive, and in control through the tagline

“Keep it Fresh: Live Tobacco Free”. It emphasises that living tobacco-free will help them achieve their idealised self-image.

With messages that position tobacco addiction as an obstacle preventing youth from being fully in control of their life, the campaign communicates that the toxic mix of chemicals found in cigarettes can have negative, long-term health consequences as well as immediate effects on one’s physical appearance and performance.

Source: USFDA

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